《Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army! (A LitRPG Monster Evolution Story)》 I Was Reborn As… A Ghost?! ----- Oh man, how did I get into this situation? I was just minding my own business, looking for new Light Novels through the store, when a sudden earthquake caused the ground below me to shake. Damn Japan and its earthquakes! The moment this happened, the bookshelves near me began to tremble, and a mountain of Mangas, Light Novels, and even Eroge fell over me and crushed my body. I really told my mother that I wanted to have that Japanese trip. She was so tired throughout the whole flight, and now here we go, I die Feeble? Well, yes, I am a feeble little woman. I never had the genes of my sister shes a giant gorilla And now Ugh My bones are crushed, and I think they pierced my internal organs. Seriously, how can I die like this? I am so pathetically weak And now I am going to leave my mother with only one daughter Ugh This little body I wish I didnt have such a weak body Ding! [Request Confirmed, a Body according to the users desires will be generated] Hm? What was that? Am I hallucinating? Oh yes, this must be that one hallucination that people get when they are closer to death. Closer to death Ding! [Request Confirmed, a Body that is Closer to Death has been generated] What? What is going on? Is this some kind of announcement of my innermost desires? If I recall correctly It said something about a body being closer to death Ugh My consciousness is constantly blacking out and coming back. I think Im really about to die If I am going to die I wish I could reincarnate; I hate the concept of just disappearing after dying And if possible, I would like to reincarnate into a nice family, rich, if possible! Ah and if it were a world of swords and magic, having some overpowered magic wouldnt be so bad [Request Confirmed. Acquiring a Rich Family Background Success] [Request Confirmed. Acquiring [Supreme Magic] Success] I got something again Is this a wish-making hallucination? Am I going to become a slime now or something? Ugh Wait, but Supreme Magic will clearly not be enough Magic is fueled by something, right? So give me a lot of ammunition Mana. [Request Confirmed. Acquiring [Mana Siphon] Success] It worked Well, if I am going to die, I might as well go all out I think I am about to die now I feel Ahhh Wait! Not yet! Give me I want a System! Those things that let you level up and stuff! [Request Confirmed. Acquiring [System] Success] Also Ugh What else? Oh! I want to become a Goddess! Make me someone unbeatable! And I want to meet a hot guy One that actually likes my ugly face [Request Confirmed. A scenario where you can meet a [Hot Guy] has been set in motion] [Request Confirmed. Acquiring [Goddess] Failure] [The [Goddess] Skill has been sealed.] [Wish Limit Reached] [Initiating Soul Absorption] [Success] And following that little wish, which I was not sure could even become real, I blacked out. . . . [Day 1?] Finally! The witch is dead! Her head was sliced right off! Ugh, thats disgusting The moment I woke up, the first thing I heard was the screams of hundreds of people around me. They were celebrating the death of someone. A witch? What is this? I opened my eyes to find a face looking right at me. It resembled a beautiful woman with pale white skin, long black hair, and aquamarine eyes. Her tongue was sticking out, and she looked awful. And I noticed that her neck was sliced off, and you could even see the bone and more plus a lot of blood. Ugh, what is this? Who killed her? I glanced upwards and found a guy wearing black clothes and a guillotine, freshly painted with blood. And then I notice that I am stuck to the body of the woman whose head had been sliced off. Wait a second. I notice that my hands are semi-transparent. And Ahh Holy fuck. I am her?! I am her soul? How is this possible?! Then where are her memories? Wait, maybe inside the brain? I dont even know whats going on But If this is real then I was this woman until my head was sliced off, I died, and then I regained my memories of my past life while forgetting the ones of this life! Thats horrible! What do I do? Maybe if I grab the head, stick it back, and use healing magic, I can revive in time? I try to extend my semi-transparent hands towards the head, but I cannot grab it. I am somewhat bound to this body [Youre bound to your corpse until enough time passes after your death] Suddenly, a mechanical voice answers my questions. What happened to me? Can you tell me anything?! I try to speak to it again, but it doesnt answer me. Also, I tried to speak with the people, but they couldnt see me either. I reincarnated, and I am already dead. Yet Why am I not going somewhere then? Am I stuck here? Suddenly, a handsome man with blonde hair and aquamarine eyes rushes towards me. His face seemed utterly hysterical. He was crying and angered, screaming like a mad wolf as tons of guards were holding him back. NOOOOOOO! MARIA! MARIAAAAA! YOU BASTARDS! YOU BASTARDSSSS! I AM GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU! I AM GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOUUUUUUU! LET ME GO! AAAGRRGH! Did he know me? Was my name Maria? The guards carried him away, as he was hit in the head and fell unconscious The people around me are all wearing clothes pulled straight from the medieval times. A guy then begins to speak to the crowd. This one looks like a total asshole. A long nose, a cheeky grin, black hair, and sharp emerald eyes. People of Affnaria, the Dark Witch Maria that has caused all of these problems to you these last ten years has been finally punished for her sins! Now, lets celebrate that the darkness of our Kingdom has finally been cleansed by the light of justice! he celebrated. YEEEES! WOOO! Bring the ale! The people started to celebrate the death of a woman whose head was sliced off. I didnt know what else to feel other than utter spite for all of them. Time passed, and two guys carried my corpse and head elsewhere. After several hours of traveling through a medieval ages-like town, we reached the areas outskirts, where a large gate opened. My corpse was stuffed into a coffin alongside my head, and then the coffin was put inside a carriage. I was then carried somewhere else Wait, where am I even going?! Dont tell me The graveyard?! . . . . . . I wasnt able to see correctly after being thrown inside a coffin, but what I know is that I was being carried elsewhere by a carriage. Through this time, Ive been trying to do something Magic, status from the system, or anything, but nothing worked. It seems that I was confined in this body. I tried to touch the head, to possess it or something, but nope, no use either. After a few hours, I was thrown outside the carriage and then into a deep hole somewhere else. Then, I heard the thudding of dirt being shoveled onto my coffin. It stopped after around three hours. And then, perpetual silence. This is awful. I died, I dont remember the memories of this reincarnation, and it seems that I was some kind of Witch. Nothing that I wished for actually became real! Wheres my Goddess Skill? Sigh For days, I waited patiently for anything to happen, something, anything. I miss my mother And my sister Ugh I cant believe I died so abruptly. I am such an unlucky person. My whole life has been filled with shit everywhere. When I was finally able to graduate, my mom let me have a trip to Japan. I was so happy with her and my sis But now I just died. This is awful. I want to go meet my family again For several days, weeks, months, or even years, I did nothing but sleep. Until suddenly, I felt a faintsomething. An energy, perhaps? But something Something was touching my own soul. That energy began to slowly mutate my soul. It became less mist-like and more I dont know, solid? It is hard to explain. The thing is After feeling this, I slowly regained consciousness as I was slumbering for days, no, maybe even years? When I felt this strange energy rush into my soul, something within me activated, and I started to absorb it all. After a few hours, incredible changes occurred to my body. I was freed! [Conditions met; youve evolved into a [Lesser Ghost] [All your stats have increased] [You have been unbound from your original body] [You learned several Skills] I am a ghost! An actual ghost! Lets see My appearance is Unclear. I seem not to have a clear appearance. I resemble a wailing mouth and two eyes despairing across my phantasmal pale-blue colored semi-transparent body. Not pretty at all But I can finally move. I quickly took a peek at my body and- Eh? Bones. Not even some flesh is left! I am just bones and clothes. This is awful. Can I possess my skeleton and become a Living Skeleton? No, no, lets not hurry to conclusions, first Status! Thats what they usually say when they want to see their status through the system Maybe I dont activate it like that? Erm System? Ding! [Name : [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race : [Lesser Ghost] [Level : [0/5] [EXP : [0/50] [Rank : [G-] [Status : [Cursed, Weak] [HP : [7/7] [MP : [100/100] [Attack : [2] [Defense : [1] [Magic : [100] [Agility : [2] Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv1] [Lesser Curse: Lv1] [Life Drain: Lv1] [Possession: Lv1] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv1] Damn I really do have System. And I am looking pretty great! Or am I? Aside from Mana and Magic, I suck, and I dont seem to have carried any power from when I was alive really?! Well, I still got my cheats and Ghost Skills. And I have what seems to be Title Skills The Dark Witch and Bringer of Misfortune. Yikes, they dont sound nice to me. Anyways, I have a Skill named Possession, so lets try to possess my own skeleton. I concentrated my mind on the task as the System guided me into it. My body turned into a mass of ethereal blue brilliance as I dived into my skeleton, taking it over as if I were some kind of parasite. I used the skeleton as pillars to sustain myself, and the clothes fit right in. And then Ding! [Possession Successful, youve possessed: [Skeleton] Hm, wait, am I still a Ghost even after possessing a Skeleton? I checked my status and found that [Skeleton] appeared between brackets at the side of my race. Odd. Well, time to rattle my bones and get off here. I tried using my own skelly strength, but it didnt work. The coffin was heavy, and the dirt above was even heavier. I think I could bypass this if I leave my skeleton aside. None of the Skills I have can help me get outside of here What a dilemma. Wait. Can I check my own Skills? Lets check Supreme Magic [Supreme Magic] The Ability to comprehend and utilize magic with utmost mastery without any required experience. All of your magic gains a 200% damage boost and costs 50% less Mana. Will it, and magic will hear your command. Oho? Alright then, I checked, and I have Dark and Death Elements So What about a Shadow Ball using Darkness? Merely by imagining it, my skeletal hands suddenly conjure a large sphere of darkness, and then, it is fired into the ceiling of the coffin BOOOOOOMMM!!! When I realized what happened, my bones were scattered all over the place, and what greeted me was a beautiful and lugubrious graveyard! Oh my, such a friendly welcome party! Theres absolutely no one here! It was night, the sky was cloudy, and a forest surrounded the graveyard. I decided to quickly pick up my bones around, as I considered that conjuring magic this strong might be dangerous. It seems that my own magic didnt damage me, but it left a giant hole in the graveyard. And the coffin was obviously blasted into pieces. Damn, I am strong. But! My mana went down by 80, so that big attack cost almost all my Mana. Mana I need Mana And I need to know where the heck I am and what this world is. But for now, it seems that we got company, at long last. What greeted my sight were three little, blue-colored flames. Using my Systems analysis function, I was able to see what these things were [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 1][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 0][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 2][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] ----- Trapped In A Graveyard Filled With Hungry Wisps! ----- [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 1][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 0][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 2][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] In front of me, I saw three little blue flames that had emerged literally out of nowhere. I was just minding my own business, collecting my skelly body, and these guys come here telling me theyre hungry for souls? Why dont you eat your partner then? However, Analyze, a function within the System Unique Skill, reveals a disturbing truth [Will-o-Wisp: Lv 1][Rank: G-][Condition: Hungry For Souls] A Phantom-type Monster that is born from the corruption of miasma in the environment that affects the residual negative emotions emanating from corpses. It harbors hatred to all living beings and souls, and it seeks to devour them to regain a soul of its own. Particularly weak, usually perish by the natural sunlight. I see. So this thing is not made by souls but by negative emotions and miasma? It lacks a soul because it is just an accumulation of negative emotions, so it wants to devour a soul to gain one itself. It could probably even evolve if it does. Although they also have levels, so it wouldnt be bad to assume that this world also has some sort of system of its own. However, theres no time to wait, the three of them rush towards me, floating in midair. They are surprisingly fast and probably are coming for my tasty soul! I quickly evade the first one, which hits the ground with a little blue flame explosion. It slowly gathers itself back and then moves towards me again. I evade another, but the third one manages to reach me. I feel a sudden sharp pain rush through my soul, as I have lost 3 points of HP! Ouch, did he just bite my soul?! Alright, enough clumsiness. I know clumsy female protagonists are charismatic, but lets just blast these bastards away with magic! Shadow Ball! Poof! Eh? Only a tiny shadow sphere comes out of my hand. Right, I am almost out of MP! Eh? So I was actually a clumsy female protagonist, damn it! However, I realize that I had another gift from my wishes while dying The Wisp that took a bit off my soul ended up liking my flavor, so he quickly rushed back towards me. However Mana Siphon! FLASH! Suddenly, blue-colored energy radiated from the wisp, and I began to absorb it. I quickly felt my MP regenerate at a crazy speed, and I got up to 40 points! Meanwhile, the Wisp, which seems to be composed of primarily mana, weakens, and becomes very small. Payback time! I conjure a Shadow Bullet, but this time, I make it small but not weak enough to do absolutely no damage, and I fire it with precision I didnt know I had in me, towards the Wisp! FLASH! BANG! Grryy The wisp released a slight groan that seemed more adorable than anything and died in the spot, dissipating into particles of phantasmal essence. Ding! [Youve gained 20 EXP] [EXP : [20/50] I gained EXP out of killing this little guy Wait, if each one gives 20 EXP, then if I kill all three, I get to level up! However, as I investigated this, the two Wisps rushed towards my back! If I let them even close to me, they will bite my soul, and I might die! But I am already dead so I double die? Anyways, I didnt have time to evade, so I prepared two bullets with my remaining MP and fired both of them at the same time towards the Wisps! BANG! BANG! The two explode into blue smoke, dead! Whew, I am excellent at ghost hunting. Ding! [Youve gained 40 EXP] [EXP : [60/50] [Youve leveled up to Level 1!] [You learned the [Dark Sphere: Lv1] Skill!] Phew I leveled up, and Oh man, it feels nice. I gained a new Skill, Dark Sphere! Is this the System translation to my Shadow Ball? Alright, I guess Dark Sphere is a fancier name As I recollected my bones, I found out that my clothes were all destroyed, so I left them out as I couldnt wear them anyways. When I recollected my bones, I tried to possess them, but it ended in a mess, as I looked like a mass of broken bones and phantom essence Hehe This is not a very presentable form to eventually meet my fellow humans. Well, if I am a ghost, I might as well spook them, right? I decided to check my status and noticed my stats had increased. [Name : [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race : [Lesser Ghost] [Level : [1/5] [EXP : [10/100] [Rank : [G-] [Status : [Cursed, Weak] [HP : [12/12] [MP : [110/110] [Attack : [5] [Defense : [4] [Magic : [110] [Agility : [7] Huh a substantial increase. I guess I still kind of suck, but oh well, my MP and Magic increased by 10, so its pretty nice. Oh, it also seems like my HP recovered when I leveled up. Thats nice. Now, what do I do? I find myself in the middle of this lugubrious Graveyard. Wherever I look, there are just graves. I can see some little blue lights in the distance, perhaps more Wisps Ugh, I dont want these things to swarm me and end up tearing my soul apart This graveyard seems to be very large, I can see a forest outside of the gates, so maybe I should try to get there. Through my perception, I can detect mana around the environment, and within the forest, theres a considerable amount of mana coming from somewhere And this entire graveyard is being shrouded in it. Maybe this is why the undead are waking up? Perhaps this is also the reason why I was finally freed from my body as a ghost. Perhaps a handsome Necromancer-san is waiting for me there! Oho! No. And if it is, I bet it is a skeleton A lich, or something. Well, might as well find out, right? If hes purposely raising me, I dont think he will kill me if I show up Or, more like, thats just my wishful thinking. But I feel the impulse to kill more monsters, so I will try to catch some Wisps off guard and level up some more. ----- Sneaking Around a Graveyard ----- As I flew around the vast graveyard, I sneaked behind the big graves and glanced around my surroundings. Three Wisps were gathering right in front of me, all three floating aimlessly, but they stuck together. Always in three. It would be hard to separate them, so I suppose I must be direct and just kill all three of them. Each one gives 20 EXP, three of them is 60 EXP, I already have 10 EXP, so it would be 70 EXP out of 100 required to level up, so I will need two more Wisps. This means I wont be able to level up right away, and if I let them attack me, I will end up wounded. After that, if I attack two more to level up, I might end up dying. Because of this, I cannot be reckless and charge directly at them, so this is why I am sneaking around Sneaking Ding! [Youve learned the [Stealth: Lv1] Skill!] Eh? So soon? Okay then, thanks! This makes things easier, as this skill enhances my ability to hide passively. But if I use mana, I can hide even better But we dont want to use Mana- Oh wait, I do have Mana Siphon. So what if I use Mana with Stealth, activate Mana Siphon, weaken the Wisp, and blast them off with the Mana I absorbed from them? Sounds like a plan, alright! I patiently wait for them to reach closer to me while I activate Stealth slowly. It seems that it works wonders as the little flames dont notice me when I am literally right at their side! Mana Siphon! The moment I activate this Skill, the Wisps begin to slowly shrink in size, as they notice me at long last. However, youre already way too weakened, buddies. Bye-bye! I ready three Dark Spheres with a thought of my mind, blasting them into smoke! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! All three wisps die right after. My planning really paid off in the end! Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP : [70/100] And done! And without even losing a single HP, that was nice My Mana slowly begins to recover back to full, as I keep wandering the graveyard. I am already pretty far away from my own grave, as I am reaching an area with paved floor which is surrounded by small buildings. I guess these buildings are where they put the corpses of royal family members? Come to think about it, who the heck was I in this life? I hate how I cannot remember any of that. It is as if I wasnt myself until I actually died This means I just died twice, right? The only thing I know is that I was named Maria Fuentes Belles, and I was a Dark Witch, who did many bad things, and I got my head guillotined off due to that. There was this handsome blonde that cried for me when I died Was he my lover? Or maybe an apprentice, little brother, or something? Damn, because he was quite handsome Anyways, no time for stupid thoughts. We got company here. I hide inside one of the little buildings where they put the coffins of royal family members. I then look through the wall at another trio of Wisps Oh, sweet, theyre moving right towards me. I activate Stealth as I patiently stick myself into the walls. The three pass through them and continue moving forward, giving me their backs! Well If they ever have backs I siphon their mana in an instant. They seem alarmed, but its already too late! Dark Sphere! I conjure Dark Sphere three times once more. Each conjuration costs 30 MP, meaning that I use 90 MP right away. This is why it is a risky thing to do. If I fail, I end up losing most of my MP. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! All three of these little wisps die horribly. Their agonizing cries are music to my metaphorical ears as I harvest their EXP like a reaper Hehe Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP : [130/100] [Youve leveled up to Level 2!] [The Level of [Dark Sphere: Lv 1] has increased!] Nice! And my Dark Sphere leveled up, how nice. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Lesser Ghost] [Level: [2/5] [EXP: [30/200] [Rank: [G-] [Status: [Cursed, Weak] [HP: [16/16] [MP: [122/122] [Attack: [8] [Defense: [7] [Magic: [122] [Agility: [12] My stats increased once more. This time, theyre finally looking a bit more decent well, not really. I bet I dont even pack a punch. Now I need 200 EXP to reach Level 3 Will it increase by 100 each time? So 300, 400, and lastly 500? What happens after max level? Hmm Evolution, maybe? While taking a break, I decided to check my Title Skills They were pretty strange. [The Dark Witch: Lv--] A Title Skill given to the Dark Witch, a figure of terror, feared by a large number of humans due to her ability to bring misfortune, calamity, and plagues to everywhere she went. You gain the hatred of others, and your very existence seems to be a threat to any human. Enhances your Ability to learn Magic, your Mana recovery, and the growth of MP and Magic Stats. You also gain additional EXP by killing. Any minion will receive an enhancement to their stats, skills, growth, and evolution options. [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv1] You are cursed with Bad Luck by the God of the Underworld, therefore, you bring misfortune to others. However, in exchange, your fortune increases as you absorb that of others passively. Those that serve you are not affected by this effect. The higher the level, the stronger the effects. I-I see So I really was a Dark Witch, and this Title is still pretty good. It helps me grow stronger and faster! Although still, being hated by everyone for no reason hurts me a bit. And theres Bringer of Misfortune Oh boy, this is a bit broken But, I feel like it is not as bad as it seems Thank you, God of the Underworld! Anyways, now that I read Minion, it reminded me of something Can I raise my own minion? I do have Dark Element and Death Element. By using Dark Element, I was able to use that magic. So cant I use Death Magic by having Death Element? Can I? If I could, it would be cool to raise an army of Undead to fight for me, so I can leisurely sit and wait for them to bring me EXP! Hmm Wait a minute, lets try it. I threw the bones I was carrying onto the ground, and then I decided to create a death spell Erm Raise Undead? FLASH! Suddenly, I lose 100 MP, but they flow into the pile of bones like a blast of smoke, and the bones suddenly gain a phantasmal aura! They begin to rattle around as they slowly start to assemble! No way, it actually worked! ----- Need A Partner? User Your Own Skeleton! ----- By merely willing it and using my Death Element Skill, alongside my amazing Supreme Magic Unique Skill, I was somehow able to conjure a spell to raise the Undead, without even knowing about it! It really is just like what the Supreme Magic Skill description said: I have to merely will it, and magic will obey me Maybe I could make an instant death spell and cheese the entire game? Hm It might probably cost way too much mana to kill someone instantly, though Anyways, the important thing is happening before my eyes! Finally, after God knows how long I spent in absolute desolation, I am finally getting a partner! And it is my own skeleton FLASH! The phantasmal forces came out of the pile of bones as they began to reassemble into a tall figure. Although most of the bones were cracked, it was still somewhat the figure of a skeleton. Its eyes were empty, and it seemed quite creepy to be honest. It looked at me with its empty eye sockets as it emanated an aura of phantasmal properties. It didnt know how to talk, and it only stood there. Hello? I say hello, as the skull follows me around wherever I move. Hmm Squat! I said. The skeleton began to tremble as it suddenly squatted barely. Oh, it obeys me I see. Well What name should I give you? I cant name you Maria, thats my name! But youre technically me In a way Partner will do for now, right? Rattle The bones rattle a bit as it seems to nod. I didnt know if that was a nod, or the skull was about to fall onto the ground, but it just barely stopped from falling Ding! [Youve raised a Minion!] [Youve named your Minion as: [Partner]!] Oh, it seems that it got registered? Lets see Can I see Partners status? [Name: [Partner] [Race: [Wight] [Level: [0/5] [Rank: [G-] [Status: [Weak, Damaged] [HP: [21/21] [MP: [18/18] [Attack: [14] [Defense: [12] [Magic: [7] [Agility: [10] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv1] [Bone Claw: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] [Wight] A monster whose body is a corpse possessed by an evil spirit. It is fragile, but it can surprise someone by pretending to be a pile of bones. Its bones are sharp and can cause a little damage. Oooh! My dear partner, youre not so bad! Rattle The bones rattle a bit, as it seems to be happy with my praise. Her HP, Strength, and Defense are way higher than mine even at level 0 Also, I can already see that it is inclined to defense and physical combat. Meanwhile, I am a glass cannon sort of deal Hey, we kind of go nicely with one another. Maybe I can ask her to act as bait for the monsters while I absorb their mana while sneaking behind her, and then BAM! Dead. Well, if she obeys my commands, it should be reasonably easy to do. I wonder if I can raise more Undead? Well, I dont think I can at the moment. My Mana is already very low after raising Partner, so I will have to rest for a bit and see if my Mana regenerates. Or we go hunting, and I just absorb the mana of what we find Yeah, if I can absorb mana, why would I sit down and wait for it to regenerate passively? I am the predator here! We slowly sneaked outside of this closed building, but Partner had to get out bone by bone through the small rack door. When we were outside, my partner followed me from behind. Her bones rattling made a bit of noise We marched through the streets of this giant graveyard until we detected some activity Two wisps were running away from a bigger wisp? [Phantom Will-o-Wisp: Lv 2][Rank: G+][Condition: Hungry] [Phantom Will-o-Wisp] An evolved form of a Will-o-Wisp. The only change to it is its large body. It has devoured a soul, and it now begins to predate on anything. Even other Will-o-Wisps are not spared. Oh wow, so they evolve by eating souls Wait, so another fellow ghost already got eaten by these damn things? Uegh It is chasing down two Wisps and it is also G+ in Rank. It has higher stats than me except in MP and Magic We chased it down from a distance, seeing what it was doing, until it suddenly stopped and caught the two wisps, devouring them by adding them into its body it got a bit bigger, but it didnt level up yet. The wisps had resisted a bit, so its HP had dropped by around 5 points out of the 30 it had Hmm Partner, throw a bone at it! I said as we hid behind a large gravestone. Partner obeyed me as she pointed at the Wisp and threw her whole arm at it! Her precision was superb because it hit the-wisp right on it! CLASH! The bone actually did damage to it despite passing through its body. How odd However, the thing quickly detected us and began to rush towards us! Time to play! I quickly used Stealth with my remaining MP as Partner began to panic. Calm down! FLAASH! As the Wisp finally reached my range, which was around 3 meters to absorb mana, I activated Mana Siphon immediately, and a chunk of Mana was transferred to me in an instant! The wisp felt weakened as it quickly detected my presence and began to retreat! Oi, where are you going?! I flew towards it with Partner at my side as I conjured Dark Sphere and fired it twice towards the wisps large body! BANG! BANG! Gyyyeeehh The Wisp felt weakened as it slowly fell to the ground. I absorbed whatever Mana it had as I defeated it by firing another Dark Bullet. Damn, it was tough but very slow and cowardly, so we pulled through, thankfully! Ding! [Youve gained 300 EXP!] [EXP: [330/200] [Youve leveled up to level 3!] [You learned the [Fake Life: Lv1] Skill!] [Partner] has leveled up to level 2!] Oh! Partner leveled up, and to boot, I gained a new Skill [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Lesser Ghost] [Level: [3/5] [EXP: [130/300] [Rank: [G-] [Status: [Cursed, Weak] [HP: [21/21] [MP: [136/136] [Attack: [12] [Defense: [10] [Magic: [136] [Agility: [16] Two more levels before I can reach max level and Partner seems to have similar EXP requirements to me because she leveled twice by gaining half of my EXP, meaning that for Level 0, she required 50 EXP, and for Level 1, 100 EXP, carrying her to Level 2. Oh yeah, minions seem to gain half of the EXP of my kill. I guess it is the same for me if they kill the target as well Also, what is this new Skill? [Fake Life: Lv1] The art of giving fake life to a living or unliving being. By using this Skill in a target that is not resisting, you can either: Raise it as an Undead if it is inanimate or change its race into an Undead-type monster if it is alive. It cannot be used on unwilling or resisting targets. The power of the Undead is related to the Skill Level and Magic Stat. ----- Let’s Slaughter Them All! ----- After raising my first Undead and first best friend of this life, Partner, I got a new Skill signaling that the power of raising an Undead seems to come from a new Skill. Thats nice and all, but I really wish I could learn more about the world. It seems that the Unique Skill: System has the power to analyze things within my line of sight. Ive tried analyzing the graves and more, but I dont get anything hinting what kind of freaking world this is aside from one with magic and a medieval setting. It really intrigues me to learn more, and thats why we are slowly moving away from this graveyard. However, this place is immense. It is as if they built an entire graveyard over a gigantic plain and left it in the middle of the forest I mean, why would they do that? Wait If the Undead is raising Maybe they put graveyards far away from the city in case of the Undead raising, so they dont reach the people as quickly? Oh, then thats a bit clever, but shouldnt you still have some means not to let the Undead raise? I mean, there could be some pope here going around purifying stuff, but nope, not any of that. Maybe they forgot or ended spending resources elsewhere. For now, I have to survive, as I am sure as hell, I wont become a ghost of a ghost if I die as one. I have HP, so thats means that if it reaches zero, my soul might end up being the one that dies this time. And theres this weird inner desire growing from within my very being, as if there was someone else whispering to me something Ugh, it only felt small at first, like just some desire to kill, but now, I am pretty sure I hear voices. Kill! Kill all the Undead! Grow stronger! FIGHT! Eh? Who said that?! Jesus, calm down dude. I am doing my best, but I cant just jump into the fry and end up killing myself. I already died twice! I dont want a third time KILL AND GROW STRONGER! Ugh SHUT THE FUCK UP! Oh, it shut up. Nice. I guess we have to just be rude against these Divine Voices that orders us around. Hah! Did you think I would let you order me around, whoever you are? Well, nope! Anyways, time to kill and grow stronger. Wait, thats exactly what he wants me to do I guess I end up doing as he wants anyways. Anyways, Ive lost too much time thinking to myself.It is quite depressing that Partner cannot converse with me or something. She only looks over at me with her empty eyes, which somehow gives me the chills. Alright, youve gotten stronger as well, havent you? I asked her as she nodded, rattling her bones. Crack, crack! I watched over Partners stats, finding that they had increased nicely. She leveled up twice, so it was something quite obvious! Anyways, after our big sack of EXP in the Phantasmal Will-o-Wisp, we continued through the large and dark graveyard by ourselves, hiding around whenever we could, until we finally reached an area that seemed to be an open plaza in the middle of this graveyard. It even had some trees decorating the area Seriously? Is this really a royal family graveyard or something?! And why was I, a villainess, put in here? Wasnt I an evil witch? Oh right, I had asked for a wealthy background. Perhaps I was evil but still of a wealthy family, so they at least paid to put me here instead of burning my corpse or something. Well, thanks! At the very least, you didnt I dont know, try to save me from having my head sliced off?! Perhaps my family didnt love me. If I had rich parents that cared for me, they might have done anything they could to save me with the power of money But these assholes didnt do a thing. Unless they were forced somewhat? Perhaps I had a little sister or brother which they were about to kill if they didnt let me get my head sliced off. Or maybe I am letting my imagination run too wild because in the middle of this opening, what we saw with Partner was a massive sea of EXP! There were dozens after dozens of Wisps flying around aimlessly, like tiny blue flames above the skies! This was nice! Very nice! If we can manage to kill all these, well definitely be able to reach the next level and evolve! I know it! I am sure of it! The wisps were still in packs of three, but the amount of packs present was insane! Perhaps there might be close to a hundred spread all across this place, and because they dont attack each other but cooperate, the others will swarm on us if I attack one. But is there a way to lure them out one by one? And I am also worried about the time what will happen if the sunlight hits us?! Will I dissipate, just like the descriptions of the Wisps? Then I have to evolve at least. Maybe that way I will be able to resist the sunlight Alright, lets get real. If I can use my Title Skill, Bringer of Misfortune, alongside my Unique Skill, Mana Siphon, to absorb their fortune and mana, maybe I can make them extremely unlucky and kill them while weakening them. I have discovered that my range of Mana Siphon is 3 meters, and it covers all the area within three meters, meaning I can absorb mana from multiple targets, and while doing that, I can blast them with Dark Spheres Sounds like a plan. But a very reckless one. Am I willing to take such risks? I glance at Partner. She was fearless and looks at the wisps as if she was staring at a meal I guess not being alone here had made me a bit braver all of a sudden Well, if you never take risks, how can you grow stronger in such a short amount of time? I have decided Lets slaughter them all! ----- The Grind Shall Continue! ----- In front of us, there are almost a hundred Wisps spread through a large area of perhaps around 30 meters. Each wisp is small, and they have spread around, although theyre still in groups of three. Nonetheless, each group is separate from one another, which is enough for us to have some momentum in between each group. However, for that, we will require extreme precision. Are we willing to take the risk and get big? Or cowardly run away and try to level up elsewhere? To be honest, this seems like a once in a dietime opportunity However, after experimenting with the range of Mana Siphon a bit and after seeing the power of my Dark Spheres, capable of killing a normal Wisp easily, I felt some confidence that we could win. As long as I continue to absorb mana, shoot dark spheres, and ask Partner to use her resilient and larger physical body to shield me from hits It might work. Yes, this can realistically work! I think. We are doing it. Ive already made up my mind. Lets do it, Partner! I quickly used Stealth to begin with a surprise attack and quickly reached up to a group of Wisps that had been getting near the grave where we were hiding. Mana Siphon, do your thing! FLAAAASH! I begin to siphon their mana in an instant. Hmm~ Delicious MP! With this MP, the wisp didnt even know what happened to them before three Dark Spheres blasted each one out of existence! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The spheres of darkness explode and kill the Wisps, as I am bathed with EXP alongside Partner although she didnt do anything but watch. Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [190/300] However, after these nice EXP sacks, all the wisps noticed us and glared at us with their non-existent eyes! Here they come! I shouted as Partner quickly got into a fighting position Well, fighting as if in using her two arms as shields, protecting her skull and chest. She retrieved her thrown arm from earlier, so shielding wasnt a problem. FLASSH! I heard the sounds of the wisps flames rushing towards us. All these little lights in the sky were all Wisps! Even when we killed three with no effort, they are still bold enough to come at me and even try to kill me! Heh, I suppose theyre really brave. And your bravery will be rewarded with death! A trio of Wisps quickly flies towards us. As Partner blocks them from reaching me, her skeletal claws actually do some damage to them as she touches them, and she actually killed two of them with a single swing of her Bone Claws! The other one was blasted into oblivion with my Dark Sphere as I absorbed the Mana it had beforehand! The EXP I got from the ones slain by Partner was reduced by half, so each one only gave 10 EXP, resulting in 40 EXP if we add the 20 EXP from the one I killed! [Youve gained 40 EXP] [EXP: [230/300] GYEEHHH! A louder than usual group of angry wisps reached to me, and right after that, they roared like the souls of damned people being tortured. It was simply creepy. But fine by me! I quickly evaded one of the wisps that literally launched at me like a madman as another managed to rise through my body, damaging and lowering my HP. Ouch. However! I got them all in my range, so Mana Siphon! FLAAASH! In a mere instant, their mana is mine, and I release three Dark Spheres right over their faces, shooting it in three different directions simultaneously. Something that only someone with the excellent Supreme Magic Unique Skill can do, of course! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [290/300] Only 10 more EXP! I fly near Partner as I find her fighting against a swarm of Wisps. Shes evading two groups of them, while another is trying to make her fall by attacking her legs, but her HP is very high, so shes actually quite resilient, and as she just leveled up from shared EXP, so her HP recovered automatically like me. Mana Siphon! I absorb the Mana of the group swarming her from her back, and as they become weakened, Partner doesnt lose this opportunity to slash them into nothingness! SLAAASH! However, right after these three died, a group of Wisps reached me from behind and began to bite and burn my soul slowly! Ouch! My HP begins to dwindle, but I use the mana I absorbed to kill them with three Dark Spheres! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! [Youve gained 30 EXP] [Youve gained 60 EXP] [Youve leveled up to Level 4!] [EXP: [80/500] And I leveled up right away from the EXP that Partner shared with me, so my HP actually went back to full, phew. However, it was far from over! I flew near Partner as I absorbed the Mana of the swarm near her skeletal legs and then let Partner crush them with her foot as they were too weakened to move anymore. It was like crushing bugs! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! [Youve gained 30 EXP] [EXP: [120/500] Another swarm was above her, throwing little blue flames at us. I evaded as I could, but Partner ended taking most of the hits, so I flew upwards and blasted them into nothingness with another three Dark Spheres! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [180/500] [The Levels of the [Ghost Touch: Lv1], [Lesser Curse: Lv1], [Dark Sphere: Lv2], and [Stealth: Lv1] Skills have increased!] What? Skills I have barely used aside from Dark Sphere suddenly leveled up I guess something triggered there, or maybe I learn natural proficiency? Wait Lesser Curse gives me the ability to curse something and weaken its stats. Then maybe I was unknowingly using it with Mana Siphon this entire time. And Ghost Touch is a more practical skill against physical beings, but maybe through Dark Spheres, I was using them Anyways, although we managed to defeat the initial wave, there were several other groups of Wisps flying at us, however, we couldnt slack off. The grind shall continue! Bring me all the EXP! ----- Intense Battle! Don’t Let Them Touch You! ----- After I discovered that I was passively using Ghost Touch and even Lesser Curse on my Dark Sphere and Mana Siphon attacks, I readied myself for more battle! There were three groups of three Wisps each, rushing right towards us. One in front, another in the left, and the other at the right we were cornered! Of course, I was able to easily evade the one that flew directly towards me, although a little one managed to scratch my soul slightly, causing me to lose some HP. I instantly utilized Mana Siphon on it, and its partners, weakening them through the combination of Lesser Curse added onto it! I had tried using Life Drain, but it doesnt seem to work on Undead-type monsters. Maybe because they dont have life? Nonetheless, I created three Dark Spheres without wasting a single second, as the three spheres of darkness reached their targets and killed all three of the weakened Wisps in three consecutive explosions! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Right after, the delicious wave of EXP bathed my soul Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [240/500] We are almost halfway through my next level! *Rattle!* My skelly friend, Partner, hurriedly used her Bone Claws to slash through the group of three Wisps that reached her, hitting, and attacking her ribcage. I positioned myself behind her and absorbed their mana right away while she used her sharp bone hands and the Bone Claw Skill, which seems to enhance the sharpness and attack power of her own bone fingers to slash the Wisps! Even if they were non-corporeal, they still take damage from Skills or magic, so they faded away in an instant, giving us some more exp! Ding! [Youve gained 30 EXP] [EXP: [270/500] Because she killed them, I got only half of those 60 EXP, resulting in 30 EXP, which was better than nothing to be honest! The third group of wisps nearby reached us in an instant! The trio suddenly separated from one another, something we had not seen before, as one of them floated far away from us and began to shoot tiny blue flames! Meanwhile, the other two bastards attacked Partners legs and made her trip into the ground! Clash! Oi, you bastards! I roared as I absorbed their Mana right away, while the phantom fire of the one above reached me, burning through my HP. I fired a Dark Sphere at the one above us beforehand, while Partners bone claws took out the two weakened ones! BOOM! SLASH! SLASH! Ding! [Youve gained 40 EXP] [EXP: [310/500] We are pulling through Partner slowly stood up as we seemed to have cleared part of this area. However, some Wisps farther away noticed all the commotion and came flying towards our direction. Upon noticing my tasty soul, they couldnt help but risk their lives and give it a shot against me. My HP was still not too low, and my Mana had enough for two more shots of Dark Sphere. Partner positioned in front of me as if shielding me while I put myself behind her. Uwah, we make the perfect team, Partner! I already love you! Who would have thought that my own skeleton would be my best friend? WUUUUUH! Two groups of wisps rushed towards us, being six in total, all six of them were groaning as if they were the souls of the damned wailing in agony though, they werent really souls, but the overaccumulation of negative emotions smashed into one, creating a phantom-like monster! The moment they reached us, I released my Mana Siphon over all six of them, while Partner used her bones to shield me, taking the little attacks they released, which were deadly for an exposed soul such as mine, but that didnt do as much damage to Partner. As she shielded me, I managed to get enough MP for me to fire a barrage of Dark Spheres! I call this Dark Shotgun! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! All six of the Dark Spheres were fired from my body simultaneously. Even without ever having used magic before, Supreme Magic made me a master in the usage of Mana, and my magic became so amazing, it was to the point that I was even able to split my mind while conjuring spells and fire them at different directions simultaneously, with remarkable precision! All six of the wisps died pitifully right away, as we were bathed in more EXP with Partner! Ding! [Youve gained 120 EXP] [EXP: [430/500] Three groups were done for, but two more were coming at us! I think these are the last ones just in time for my evolution! As they flew at us, they did something weird. All nine of them suddenly began to get together as if they were fusing! What is this? Is this how Phantasmal Will-o-Wisps are born? But they have not eaten a soul yet! Maybe they saw so many of them dying that they decided to join into a big one? FLAAASSH! The nine Wisps merged into a big one, almost reaching two meters in height! I quickly appraised it, finding that it was something completely different [Will-o-Wisp Legion: Lv 5] [Rank: G+] A type of Undead-type monster formed by the union of many Will-o-Wisps who were unable to find a soul. Filled with rage and negative emotions, they decide to join hands and become a powerful Wisp in hopes to finally devour a soul with such newly acquired strength. Yikes, alright, this bastard might be a bit stronger WOOOOOHH! The large Wisp roared with the sound of many wailing voices as it flew towards us at an impressive speed! Damn, if it manages to clash its big body against us, hell easily slurp our souls out! Lets evade! FLAAAAASH! The large Wisp hit the ground with its charge as we managed to just barely jump to the side! BOOOM! Seeing it was in the ground, it slowly brought itself up again. But I quickly decided to use Mana Siphon on it right away! As I drained its mana for a few seconds, the Wisp noticed and got quite angry. It formed a fireball made of phantasmal flames and fired it at me! ----- Boss Battle! Against The Will-o-Wisp Legion! FLAAAAASH! A giant blue-colored fireball made of phantasmal flames, capable of burning the soul, flew at me with insane speed. Shit! I was caught off guard, but I tried to evade, flying to the sides, however, the fireball was way too massive, and my Agility wasnt the highest, either. I grit my imaginary teeth as I prepare myself for the inevitable hit. However! CLAAAASH! Crack! Partner suddenly emerged before me, taking the whole hit head-on! Bump! It fell to the ground as all her bones shattered, scattering along the floor! Agh Partner! *Rattle* It seems to be still alive You dork, why did you do that?! You could have died! *Rattle* Her HP is barely at 2 points A bit more, and shell die. But thankfully, it is not lowering, mostly because she cant bleed or anything of the sort. However, if she receives another hit, shell surely die But this wisp is looking for me, not Partner. Partner doesnt precisely have a soul, but her soul is made of residual phantasmal essence, whereas I am the one with an actual soul. As long as I get away from her, the Wisp will follow me instead! And I have enough Mana! I rush away from Partner right away as I glance at the Wisp! Partner, wait there for a bit, alright? *Crackle* Partner rattles her jaws as if acknowledging my words. OOOOOOOOHHHHH! The large wisps get off the ground and quickly fly towards me like a cannonball shot through the air! You damn fatass! I ready Dark Sphere and fire it several times consecutively as if I were firing a Shotgun! As the idiot is just charging at me directly, all the hits instantly hit it! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOMMM!!! OOOOOOHHHH! The six Dark Spheres hit it directly, as several parts of its mass begin to fade away. The entire thing is suddenly reduced to the size of a watermelon, but somehow, it kept charging at me desperately! OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!! Shut the fuck up already! I evade right in time, moving upwards, as the Wisp falls over the ground again and its mass begins to fade away the more it rubs itself through the ground. I got you! I rushed towards it and absorbed whatever Mana it had left, and DARK SPHERE! A sphere made of pure darkness emerges before me, as I fire it directly at the wisp! BOOOM!!! Guuuuooohh! Poof! The entire wisp finally dies out as I get tons of EXP. Phew Ding! [Youve gained 200 EXP] [EXP: [630/500] [Youve leveled up to Level 5!] [You can now [Evolve] [Partner] has leveled up to Level 5!] Ah! Partner! I fly near Partner as I see her slowly recovering. Her cracked and shattered bones slowly reassembled themselves, and in just a few seconds, she was back to normal. Phew Uwaaah! Partner, you idiot! What would I have done if you died?! *Rattle* Yeah, I know I could have died! But still You know that I can raise another Undead, but youre the first one, and therefore, youre special! Even if we had been together for just like 5 hours or something I sighed. *Crackle* Partners empty eyes seem not to understand what I am trying to say, but she kind of felt my emotions as she used her skeletal arms to hug me. Aw A-Anyways! Now that we are max level, we should evolve! But how the heck do we evolve? I wondered. I tried to find something through the System, and there it was, there was a big button in front of me, saying: [Evolution] (New!). Because it is quite common for evolutions to suddenly make you blackout or something, we decided to move away from this open field, entering another of those closed buildings where they put royal family coffins. The racks were wide enough for Partner to fit her body piece by piece, so we got there pretty easily. Phew, being in a closed room really makes me feel safer Now Hey, how about you evolve first? I asked. *Rattle* Partner, as if knowing how to do it without even thinking, is suddenly shrouded by shadows and phantom essence that came out of nowhere! FLAAAASH! Woah, hold up! I move a few meters away as I see Partner evolve right in front of my eyes. My cracked little skeleton friend is finally getting stronger! The essence quickly fills her skeleton body, and it suddenly starts to change color The black bones became completely dark and gained a mildly metallic shine. There were no cracks now, and it even had a cross-shaped crimson-red-colored tattoo in the middle of her forehead. Meanwhile, her two empty eye sockets gained two glowing red lights, shining eerily Ding! [Partner] has evolved into a [Black Skeleton Fighter]!] Black Skeleton Fighter?! Seriously? That sounds really cool for just a black-colored skeleton *Rattle* Partner suddenly begins to inspect her own body, and she seemed to be happy with it. *Crackle!* It runs towards me and hugs me again. Eh? W-What are you doing? I guess youre happy that youve evolved, arent you? Must feel nice, huh? *Crackle!* What an overly affectionate skeleton Anyways, let me go now. I want to evolve too! Though, let me check how your stats are looking. [Name: [Partner] [Race: [Black Skeleton Fighter] [Level: [5/10] [Rank: [F] [Status: [Strengthened] [HP: [72/72] [MP: [27/27] [Attack: [41] [Defense: [37] [Magic: [16] [Agility: [25] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv2] [Black Steel Bones: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv2] [Magical Damage Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv2] [Bone Claw: Lv3] [Intimidation: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] Wait, what? Hold up. You got way too strong now! Over 70 HP?! She really became a tank now Nai wa ----- Evolution! ----- Partner got so strong! What the heck? Now I am jelly! But shes such a sweetheart, hugging me and stuff. Y-You dont have to hug me all the time, alright? I asked. *Crackle* Partner quickly let me go from her skelly embrace, finally allowing me some room to breathe. Now that youre evolved, I will evolve too, so keep your guard high and dont let any sneaky wisp get inside to annoy us, I said. Rattle! Partner rattled her metallic bones as she seemed to nod. I quickly pressed the [Evolution] Option once and for all, only to find that there were options! [Evolution Options] [Ghost] [Dark Ghost] [Phantom] Three options? I would assume Ghost lets me become a Lesser Ghost, huh. Dark Ghost maybe it strengthens my Dark Magic? And Phantom is I dont know. whats the difference? Lets see My excellent Unique Skill: System, comes with the wonderful Analyze ability, so lets use it to analyze these babies. [Ghost] [Rank: F-] A Ghost, a soul, infected by miasma, has become an Undead. Their bodies are ethereal but can materialize for short periods of time. Although their physical damage is very weak, they have the ability to spook people, drain the life out of people, and curse them. [Dark Ghost] [Rank: F+] A variant of the Ghost Monster evolved from a soul shrouded in dark and negative emotions, becoming closer to the dark side Its soul is infused with shadows and darkness, resembling a mass of shadows. Dark ghosts are amazing at using Dark Sphere as their primary attacking method and can hide within shadows to ambush victims from behind. [Phantom] [Rank: F] Phantoms are souls that had not properly rearranged their appearance and had become flawed. They resemble a mass of phantasmal essence and can change shapes at will. They usually are less aggressive than Ghosts, living in desolate areas. However, they would sometimes haunt large manors and move things around with their ability to lift things into the air. They have great Stealth potential and are very hard to detect. They look quite good But I am inclined between Dark Ghost and Phantom. With Dark Ghost, my offense will increase a lot And I could even hide in shadows! Wait, does this means I can hide in the night? Meanwhile, Phantom comes with a very faint presence, and you can even sneak around people in the bright of day without any issue as if I were just a mass of air Hmmm Yeah, its obvious what option I will take. Ding! [Youve chosen the [Dark Ghost] Evolution Option!] FLAAASH! The moment I picked this evolution, my entire body was shrouded in phantasmal essence and darkness a lot of darkness! Alright lets prepare Ugh this feels weird. It feels as if my entire body is being bathed. Some impurities are being moved away, while this new power, the shadows and darkness, are quickly entering my soul. And just like that, the evolution finished. My appearance has become mildly humanoid. I think I can take the shape of a mannequin or something. But I cant recreate my real face yet And my phantasmal body is now shrouded with darkness Its as if I had embraced the edginess that lies within my heart! Ding! [You have evolved into a [Dark Ghost]!] [All your stats have increased] [The Levels of all your Skills have increased] [You learned the [Dark Gale: Lv1] and [Shadow Sneak: Lv1] Skills!] Oooh, I got two new Skills right off the bat! And I feel quite stronger than before. Like, my body seems more real to an extent Its hard to explain it properly Anyways, I decided to check my stats. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Dark Ghost] [Level: [5/12] [EXP: [0/600] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [37/37] [MP: [185/185] [Attack: [24] [Defense: [22] [Magic: [185] [Agility: [36] Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv2] [Shadow Sneak: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv2] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv3] [Lesser Curse: Lv3] [Life Drain: Lv2] [Possession: Lv2] [Dark Sphere: Lv4] [Fake Life: Lv3] [Stealth: Lv2] [Dark Gale: Lv1] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv2] Oh, I am indeed looking quite extraordinary there! My MP and Magic had increased by a nice amount, and my other stats dont look that bad either. Although I guess the only vital stats for a glass cannon like me is having more Agility to evade. Sadly, there are no such things as stat points here to relocate them around. The rest of my Skills leveled up except the new ones and Eh? Even my Title Skill leveled ----- Out Of The Graveyard! ----- [Dark Gale: Lv1] Charge Mana and release a mighty gale of dark winds towards a target, it is not as intense as Dark Sphere, but it can cut through things more sharply and precisely. It can also be used to generate a strong shockwave of winds. [Shadow Sneak: Lv1] The characteristic Skill of Assassins, Thieves, Rogues, and other Shadow Creatures. By spending Mana, you shroud yourself in shadows and hide within them, although your mass is not merged with the shadows. But if this is used by something without a physical body, a full fusion into the shadows can be done. Consumes mana constantly. I glanced at the information of my two new abilities as I grew eager to try them out. However, the Shadow Sneak requirement of needing mana constantly really threw me off. I guess I cannot abuse it for now and become invisible in the darkness of the night or something And Dark Gale seems like an excellent attack method. It costs less than Dark Sphere, and it can slice through things more precisely, but it also lacks as much firepower as the cannonball-like potency of Dark Sphere so theres that. Phew, now that we are done and evolved, what should we do? Ah, lets try to sneak out of the graveyard, I guess. I mean, we are more than halfway through the gates already, I said. *Crackle!* With a very loyal skeleton at my side, I decided to move forward through the night. Several hours had gone by since I was reborn as a Ghost, so I think that the sun might emerge soon enough. We have to get out of here and see the outside world before that! We sneaked through the graveyard, and on the way, we barely found wisps flying around, and if we did catch sight of them, they would be very far away from us. We also found that it would be useless to waste time and mana into chasing them down, so we ignored them as we pushed forward. After almost an hour, we finally reached the gates of the graveyard. It was a very tough rack, and it even seemed to be magically enhanced? It had something resembling drawings on it runes of some sort which gave it some magical potency. I would guess that such a thing is what gives them this strength. I mean, I try to touch them, and there is also this invisible wall that doesnt let me get out. It is very annoying. However, this only applies to the walls and gates. Hmm Come here, Partner. I decided to use Possession on Partner, who didnt resist, as we fused into one! And using such fusion, I used my natural floating ability to slowly carry her above the gate. Very Slooowly As we reached above the gates, the invisible wall was no longer present, and then, we reached the outside. Bump! We reached the surface with a spectacular jump as I separated myself from Partner. Using possession also consumes mana constantly if the entity I am possessing is alive. This also applies to the undead, it seems. After becoming an undead, I suppose she stopped just being a pile of bones. What greeted us at the outside world was a beautiful dark forest filled with phantasmal presences within It was spooky. But not really. The trees looked like pine trees, but they were way bigger and a bit darker. And as I analyzed things out, I noticed the entire forest surrounded this graveyard. It was really isolated from everywhere else. Oh, and yeah, there was this presence, with the same magical essence that had filled the graveyard and awakened all the Wisps, Ghosts, and the like, which I didnt seem to have come across. Perhaps there were more ghosts on the other side of the graveyard, which I didnt manage to inspect. There was also this strange voice that had stopped talking into my head, which somehow had some relation to this energy I could feel it. And the presence was right in front of us. There was a long dirt road in front of the gate, and I am guessing that through it, carriages come to put more coffins into the graveyard. And the presence was coming right from this road. I couldnt satiate my curiosity, so I decided to hide within the large trees as I followed this strong presence of pure magic with Partner at my side. Partner, what do you think it might be? I wondered out loud. *Rattle* Yeah, maybe it is really a Necromancer or something? We continued to pass through the forest until we found that the magical essence did a sudden turn and reached the other side of the road We quickly crossed the road sneakily before we arrived at the other side of the forest and continued to follow the presence. It was getting a bit brighter; the sun might soon arise. I really hope the sunlight or something doesnt purify me Suddenly, the presence got stronger, to the point that it was even more alluring. Ah Wait, what? I just realized it, but we had been following this presence way too happily. Why is it? Is it because it seems alluring to us? As we are Undead? Undead seem to crave mana above all things However, it is too late to turn back because what we found in front of us was the entrance to an underground dungeon. The floor suddenly became paved with gray and dark blue bricks, which led downstairs into the depths of darkness. I used Analyze on this and [Dungeon Entrance] [Dungeon Rank: Unknown] [Dungeon State: Recently Opened] It really is a dungeon And the moment I analyzed it, the voice once more spoke to me. Ah! The first ones are finally here! Eh? Its you, the insolent one that spoke back to me Well, whatever, come down! Eh? Who are you? The voice just spoke to me through my mind, as if it were telepathy or something. Who am I? I am your creator, of course! Come meet me downstairs! I-I am very lonely, you know? Lonely? Can you tell me who you are at the very least? I sighed. I am Well, lets say I am a Fallen Dragon... Thats not normal at all! ----- The Duke Of Affnaria ----- The people of the town of Affnaria were completely unaware that the soul of the Dark Witch they had sentenced to death six years ago had suddenly awakened as a ghost. However, reports about a strange Miasma Activity within the Dark Forest that surrounded the Graveyard set in outside the city had begun to reach the towns Duke. As the sixth son of the King who rules the Kingdom of Albraun, he was delegated into a Duke in this town several years ago. However, as the town was filled with filth and poor people, it has been a pain in the ass to pull into a better situation altogether. But today, as he was assessing a mountain of papers, someone came with a unique report. Lord Allen, theres something important to report. What is it? I am swamped with work. I have not slept for over four, days now and I havent even finished this mountain of papers. Trading with the Merchant Guilds of the nearby Towns is such a pain. Sighed the man. His short black hair, sharp emerald eyes, and long nose gave away the characteristics of the royal family of Albraun immediately. I am very sorry to interrupt you, my lord, but this is very important. It seems that Large concentrations of Miasma had been detected within the depths of the Dark Forest. A Wizard from the Mage Guild said that this could possibly mean the birth of a new dungeon, Said the old man. A dungeon right in front of our town?! asked Allen, almost falling out of his chair. Dungeons were born when a large amount of Miasma was accumulated underground for hundreds of years. It was said to be trials made by the Trickster God of Chaos, Loki, for humanitys growth. Indeed, my lord. But this could quite possibly be a good thing! Says the man. Hah! As if I were to not know that! Suppose we can grab that dungeon and find the Dungeon Core, and the Dungeon Master is slain. In that case, we can take over that Dungeon and finally we can finally begin to become more self-sustainable in terms of Magic Stones and other resources that Dungeons can give! Shouts the Duke in excitement, fascinated by the monetary potential of owning a Dungeon, something that many Towns already practiced. My lord, the Magician Guilds Wizard, Asahunn Danberra, is ready to go investigate. Will you give him the order? Asked the man. Only that old man? No, that wont be enough. Prepare several tasks in the Adventurer Guild. We need to ask the Adventurers to explore this dungeon and kill as many monsters inside as possible. If they can clean it up and find the last boss and the dungeon master, it will be ours! Hurry! Shouts Allen. Y-Yes sir! The man obeys, rushing outside. Haha Finally, after so many years of being shrouded by that witchs misfortune, something good has happened! Wait, didnt that Dungeon spawn near the Graveyard? Hm, well, they will be able to deal with them if any Undead emerges, shouldnt be anything above F-Rank thought the Duke, as he sighed with a happy smile, but then saw the mountain of papers and felt dispirited once more. Ugh Back to work. The moment the Duke gave the order, the Adventurer Guilds spread across the entire Duchy began to open new Quests with vast rewards. Some of such quests were about investigating the monsters inside the dungeon and bringing their corpses. And those that brought them first would receive an extra reward. There were other quests about investigating the dungeons structure and how far it could go. The recorded map of the first few floors would be bought for a generous amount of money! And there were even quests that involved scouting the area around the Dungeon, which included the Graveyard. They would then report if the dungeons appearance had triggered new monsters emerging from the surface or the graveyard, which had the risk for an Undead break. Adventurers of all shapes and sizes moved busily around the town, buying equipment, items, and anything to prepare for their journey. To say the least, it was a hectic morning ----- (Maria POV) What was in front of Partner and me was something I had never expected to see. Really, I had thought we would meet a handsome Necromancer that would say, Hey, Ive finally raised my new wife, come, lets dominate the world together! or something, but instead, we got a dungeon! And a guy that claims to be a Fallen Dragon? Wait, isnt that even more awesome than a Necromancer? A fallen dragon? How can I trust your words? Maybe this is a trap, and youre going to exorcise us or something! Right, Partner? I asked as Partner crossed her arms and nodded. Erm Well, I cannot prove it to you yet! But By my power, this miasma, which is leaking from my body, you were able to raise as an Undead! I can feel our connection, young lady! The voice tried to convince me. Y-Young lady? F-Flattery wont get you anywhere! And actually, I am dead. I sighed. Dead or not, it doesnt matter. What I need now is a friend! So please, come down, Seemingly begged the Fallen Dragon. Okay, but tell me your name, I said. My name? Thats What? Did you forget it? I asked. No Its just that Ive never given my name to strangers before, Says the Fallen Dragon. Then we are going elsewhere. Come on, Partner, I said as we moved away. W-Wait! I will tell you! Its Lucifer, Sighed the dragon, displaying his momentary defeat. What kind of edgy name is that?! Lucifer?! I asked. Yes It was the name given to me by my creator Creator? And whos that? I asked. Y-Youre asking way too much now, come down, and I will tell you in person said Lucifer. Okay, but dont eat my soul or something when we meet, alright? Promise it to me as a dragon! I said. I wont eat your little and insipid soul, you dork! And I promise it Lucifer sighed once again. Insipid!? Let me tell you that my soul is delicious! A lot of guys in the graveyard were literally dying to eat it! I laughed. ----- Exploring The Dungeon Of The Fallen Dragon! ----- Now, can you come? Lucifer asked. No, no, lets talk a bit more. First of all, why do you even want a friend? Youre a mighty dragon. Why do you even care about that? Why do you even care about me getting down? I feel like you want to set me up for something Wait, do you have some kind of mind change ability so you will take over my soul and escape your confinement?! I shouted. W-What are you even talking about? Youre really one in a million *sigh* It is a long story. I have been sleeping here for generations ever since I fell in the war against enemy forces from the Heroes. Ever since then, this land has been draining my power while I slept, and when I just woke up, I found myself trapped inside a Dungeon This miasma that you feel is part of my own power, which is constantly leaking outside, Lucifer explained. Oh wow, thats a big info dump I see, I used this miasma, which I cannot seem to be able to shut down, to lead it to the graveyard nearby. I tried to raise an Undead army to help me get out of here and also to kill the damn humans living above me. I hate them with all my soul. You were a former human, so maybe that wouldnt have been a good thing to say in front of you. Sighed the Fallen Dragon. Oh no, it is completely fine. I am no longer human, and I believe I hate them a lot too! You see, they cut off my head! Haha I said. Oh Perhaps we are not so different then. If you can help me escape from here, I will I Erm, I promise to be your partner Or your ally, or servant, whatever! And if youre a degenerate woman, even a husband! But please, aid me The Fallen Dragon begged once again. Youre really desperate Alright, fine Getting a handsome dragon husband has always been one of my fantasies- Ahem, anyways, lets go, Partner! *Rattle!* Thank you! I will be waiting for you down here. I believe there might be around 20 floors up to where I am Good luck! And like that, the guy went to sleep or something, and we slowly began to walk downstairs into the mysterious and dark depths of this dungeon. The stairs slowly began to be illuminated by flames that automatically flared up at our presence. *Rattle* Yeah, it is pretty spooky, Partner! But we are already spooky ourselves, so we should be fine- GYAAAH! Suddenly, something touched my back, something very cold! I moved away as we found ourselves on the first floor of the dungeon, and right away, a thing attacked me. It was brief, but my HP was drained! I glanced at the thing that emerged, and it resembled a cold mass of water? [Cold Water Slime: Lv4] [Rank: F+] [State: Hungry] A Cold Water Slime! Its the first time weve met one of these guys here. This is really like a fantasy world. The slime trope has been fulfilled it seems. Although we still need to find a horned rabbit! But how was it able to drain my HP if I am not corporeal? Well, that was thanks to its [Absolute Digestion] Ability, which lets it digest ANYTHING. Even souls, it seems. Through my [Analyze] function of the Unique Skill: System, I can actually see through the stats of monsters and their abilities, like a particular spiders [Appraisal]. Alright, I guess our first adversary is a Rimuru knock-off. Buump! Suddenly, the Slime charged energy through the core inside its body and bounced with the [High Jump] Ability it had, directing its body right at me! FLAAASH! However, I was prepared! Dark Gale! I pointed at the Slime while in midair, as two gales of slicing dark winds were released from my phantasmal hands, cutting through the slimes body and damaging the core! SLASH! SLASH! Gyyeehh! The slime shrieked in pain as it fell to the ground. Its HP had reduced down to 50%, however, it seems that damage dealt to the slimes body is not applied. Only damage to the core can lower its HP! Now, Partner! I cheered for Partner as she moved at flashing speed towards the weakened slime, meanwhile, I used Mana Siphon. CLAASH! Partner kicked the slimes core into the wall using her metallic legs and shattered it into pieces right away! Crack! Geeghh The slime died! Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [60/600] Oh?! Only one slime gave me what three Wisps would. I guess thats some EXP escalation. After all, the creature was F+ Rank, way higher than the wisps at G. If I can kill nine more slimes, I will be able to level up to Level 6. After that was done, we glanced at the slime, who suddenly dropped something. Hm? Whats this? I moved towards the thing it dropped, and I found a tiny, blue-colored ring inside the slimes mushed body. However, as I reached towards the item, it glowed, and then not only did the ring disappear from my sight, but also the body of the slime. What?! Ding! [Youve collected the following Items] [Water Slime Core Ring (F-Grade): Lv2] x1 [Water Slime Cold Ooze (F-Grade)] x1 [Shattered Water Slime Core (F-Grade)] x1 [The Items have been added to your [Inventory] System Function] Inventory? For real? Since when did I have one? I checked the Unique Skill: System and found out that when I evolved, it acquired a new Sub-Ability, simply named [Inventory], which let me store whatever I wanted Just like a game, I guess. I should check the Unique Skills whenever I evolve, they seem to be connected to my soul or something, so when I develop, they develop with me I also checked the Supreme Magic and Mana Siphon Unique Skills and found out that my Mana Siphon range became 4 meters now, and Supreme Magic increased my magic damage by an extra 10%. Wow, thats actually quite nice. And now It seems that in this worlds dungeons, you can collect items! Thats very game-like Or maybe it is just my System and me? The System doesnt say anything about these items though, so maybe this is something endemic of this world. Lets see ----- Dropped Items And Equipment Mechanics! ----- Wow. Okay, so things become even more game-like whenever you enter a Dungeon. Monsters that you kill occasionally drop items, and also, their very carcasses can be picked up as separate items into my Inventory. But, I have no idea if this is my power or if everyone can get items this way. I would guess that if theres an endemic System in this world, whatever it is, then this probably applies to everyone. So, the items I got were: [Water Slime Core Ring (F-Grade): Lv2] x1 [Water Slime Cold Ooze (F-Grade)] x1 [Shattered Water Slime Core (F-Grade)] x1 The first item seems to be an equipment item, while the latter two are materials that seem to be used for crafting or alchemy. Maybe you use them to make potions, items, and the like? The interesting part doesnt end here, though. The Ring has a Level. It seems like items have levels, and they level up somehow. Maybe through upgrading? They have levels and Grades, so perhaps they correlate with one another, although only equipment seems to have levels. Also, the Slime Core or its slimy ooze doesnt seem to have a level. I tried to check the beautiful silver-colored ring with a tiny blue jewel on it, and I got this. [Water Slime Core Ring (F-Grade): Lv2] +20 MP +8 Magic +20 Water-Attribute Damage. This seems to be the perfect item for a Water Attribute Mage. It even comes even with stats! Now, I do wonder, can I equip it as a Ghost? A being without a corporeal body? Partner doesnt use magic, so this would be pretty useless for her. Lets seeI check my status and the system until I find that there is a tab with equipment slots on it. There slots for the head, chest, pants, feet, shoulders, hands, and even weapons. There are also slots for equipment, two for rings, two for necklaces, and two for bracelets But I am sure that anyone would have more than one finger, so I dont know whats up with this restriction. I quickly equipped the ring as I extended my delicate-looking phantasmal index finger from my right hand. The ring fits right in, and it was perfect. I even got the boost! However, I found out that the Ring produced some sort of essence by itself. It wasnt much, but I began to ponder if someone equipped so many items filled with this heavy essence, wouldnt their bodies crumble under such pressure? Perhaps item restrictions were based on this. Especially if the items are way too high grade, making a person sickly if theyre too weak to wear them. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Dark Ghost] [Level: [5/12] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [37/37] [MP: [185/185]{+20} [Attack: [24] [Defense: [22] [Magic: [185]{+8} [Agility: [36] Would you look at that? The items stats appear in the status as a {+} sign of sorts interesting. I feel like I have more MP now, so I now have over 200 MP! Now that we are done with this, I decided to continue through the Dungeon with Partner. However, something came to my mind. Why did I get so little EXP from the slime? It was mildly strong! I remember Wisps Legions dropping fat 200 EXP at me! Maybe theres a bonus to EXP if the Monster is cataloged as some sort of Boss creature? Are there titles that make Monsters seem to have higher qualities or authority other than just based on their Ranks? I do wonder My theory is that these legions had lots of EXP because they were made up of many monsters stuck together, so all their EXP was given to me, or at least a part. Meanwhile, although the Slime was mildly strong at F-Rank, it was still one creature. Hmmm Maybe if I find a Slime Legion, I could get more EXP out of it. I had considered raising the puddle of slime and the shattered core as an Undead, but I discovered that I had a limit of two Undead for now. It seems that my limit of how many I can control increases as I evolve. Before, I could only control or maybe make it loyal. Maybe if I cannot make them my servants, such as my beloved Partner, they will rebel against me or even try to kill me. However, I wonder if Fake Life could be an excellent method to create Undead monsters to kill for EXP. But it seems less efficient due to the massive MP cost. And now that we are in a Dungeon, we might as well hunt in the Dungeon. For now, I felt like an Undead Slime would be lame, so I better find a stronger thing to make an Undead out of. Dont get me wrong, slime lovers, I do like the good ol slime girls, but I dont think an Undead Slime would work for now I want something stronger than an F-Rank. The dungeon layout was like an underground labyrinth. It had several passages and corridors, black bricks covered the ceilings, walls, and floor, and several torches were illuminating the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. Very spooky. Thankfully, despite looking like a labyrinth, the layout was pretty straightforward and not too hard to guide ourselves through. Sometimes we came across dead ends, but never anything too hard. I think my mind has photographic memory because I can remember the map pretty well as we wander around it. Maybe Supreme Magic not only upgraded my way of conjuring magic but also, as a result, made my mind very good at storing information. That doesnt mean I am a genius; I believe I am quite an idiot. I mean I died by being crushed by books. Uwah, just by remembering that, it makes me sad Mommy, big sis, I miss you! Sorry for calling you a gorilla, sister. I never thought I would miss your tomboyish attitude Partner, youre my only family now! Never leave me! I hug Partner as she looks at me with a confused look on her skeleton face, rattling her skull. *Crackle?* However, our cute moment together is interrupted by a creature that suddenly reached towards us, just as we were about to rech the stairs leading to the next floor. ROAR! ----- A Deadly Beast! ----- ROAR! A furious roar wakes me up from my daze as a beast greets us from below. It felt like epic music began to play because the beast was absolutely terrifying. The creature itself is the size of a lion, and it resembles one as well. But its fur is completely black, it has bat-like wings, and its tail has the head of a snake! [Dark Manticore: Lv 6] [Rank: E] [State: Angered, Defending its territory, Hungry] A Manticore! At this time and age?! In this little dungeons first floor, to boot?! And its Eh?! Isnt that a whole Rank above us? Oof. The Manticore begins to release an aura of darkness around its entire body, as I can see its muscles suddenly bulge and strengthen. The power of its dark aura suddenly coats its claws, and its sharp crimson-red eyes glare at us. The beast bares its fangs and leaps towards us at an immense speed! FLAAASH! Partner and I quickly evaded as the enormous claws hit the ground, causing the entire floor to tremble! CLAAASH! ROAAARR! The beast roars once more as it glares directly at me! However, I wasnt just standing still as I admired your beautiful and soft black fur, buddy! I gathered the mana I had siphoned from the beast while I also drained its Vitality through Life Drain, recovering some of the HP I lost from the Slimes attacks. I even fire a series of Dark Spheres towards its face, four shots, to be exact! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! GRAARGH?! Each Dark Sphere was like a cannonball as it hit the hard skin of the creature. Despite its [Darkness Resistance: Lv2], my magic deals extra damage thanks to Supreme Magic, easily negating the damage it reduces from its resistance! The Dark Spheres easily make a dent in the creatures HP, as I see it drop to almost 60%! The monster roars in not only surprise but pain as it vomits a mouthful of blood and quickly prepares some magic of its own. Eh?! The bastard greets me with his own Dark Sphere, which hits me directly on my face! CLAASH! Unngh! It seems that the Magic Stat reduces inflicted magic damage, and because I have tons, it didnt kill me, but still, seeing my face explode into phantasmal essence was not painful but quite traumatic. He still took a nice chunk out of my HP, bringing me to almost half. However Now, Partner! *Rattle!* Partner quickly ambushes the Manticore from behind, as she uses her powerful metallic bones and the [Bone Claws] Skill, which she infused with more mana than usual. The attack is strong enough to generate a claw-shaped phantom from her bony hands! CLAAAAASH! UNNGRRAAGGH! The Manticore takes the entire hit on its face as a horrid wound emerges, blood spurting from it intensively. Partner even managed to destroy its left eye! Way to go! I move around the battlefield as I try to evade the next hit. A sudden Black Sphere is fired against Partner. And without even looking, the beast conjured a piece of magic at the end of its tail where a snake head sat. Dark Gale! I use [Dark Gale] as Partner tanks the [Dark Sphere], slicing off the tail with ease! Grryyssshaaa! The snake gives a last groan of agony as it dies. The Manticore stumbles before roaring in pain once more before its body suddenly explodes with dark energy. FLAAASH! Suddenly, it leaped right towards me! F-Fuck! I quickly fire a [Dark Gale] desperately directly at its face, but the Manticore takes the hit so it can grasp me with its [Shadow Claw] Skill! SLAAAASH! CLASH! However, before the slashing attack could reach me and rip my phantasmal body into shreds due to it being infused with magic, which can damage ghosts, Partner emerges from behind and gives the Manticore a specular uppercut to its chin, slamming it into the ceiling! Wow! Is Partner that strong?! CLAAASH! GGROOARR! The Manticore vomits another mouthful of blood as its jaw hangs, almost dislocated. The massive beast falls to the ground before trying to stumble up to its feet. Fuck, its still alive? It had around 30% of its HP. Well, not for much longer! Partner, lets gang on it! I use Life Drain and Mana Siphon on the Manticore before continuously conjuring Dark Spheres towards the weakened and slow body of the Manticore while Partner kicks it and slashes it! BOOM! CLASH! SLASH! CRAASH! ROOOAARRR! The monstrous beast roars one last time as its jaws open wide and point themselves at me. FLAAAASH! A sudden blast of darkness hits me directly! But Partner managed to get in the way, diminishing some of the damage. Nonetheless, our HP went down by a lot! Unngh! The beast was dead already, but his little parting gift almost killed us. Ding! [Youve gained 600 EXP] [EXP: [660/600] [Youve leveled up to Level 6!] [The Levels of [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv2], [Life Drain: Lv2], and [Dark Gale: Lv1] have increased!] [You learned the [Darkness Resistance: Lv1] and [Fear Resistance: Lv1] Skills!] [Partner] has leveled up to Level 6!] Our HP quickly fills back up as we see what seems to be items emerging from the Manticore. Oh, is this some nice loot after this boss-like battle? I quickly fly over and touch the corpse and items. The corpse automatically dismantles itself into materials that are added to my Inventory. Ding! [Youve collected the following Items] [Dark Manticores Crimson Eye Necklace (E-Grade): Lv 3] x1 [Dark Manticore Venomous Snake Tail Spear (E-Grade): Level 2] x1 [Dark Manticores Black Hide (E-Grade)] x10 [Dark Manticores Sharp Fangs (E-Grade)] x20 [Dark Manticores Flesh and Blood (E-Grade)] x30 [Dark Manticores Snake Tail Venom (E-Grade)] x5 Ooh! A bunch of items that I will prob not even use But! There are two new pieces of equipment, and a Spear? I dont know if I can use it properly, but doesnt this fit Partner perfectly? Partner! Heres your gift! You earned it, buddy! *Crackle!* I quickly gave Partner her spear, and she looked at it with her eye sockets, the red light within them flashing with happiness. ----- Great Equipment! ----- I looked at the equipment I just received. [Dark Manticores Crimson Eye Necklace (E-Grade): Lv 3] +40 MP +20 Magic +20 Agility +60 Dark Attribute Damage [Dark Manticore Venomous Snake Tail Spear (E-Grade): Level 2] +100 Attack +20 MP +10 Agility +Venomous Fang Effect +50 Venom/Poison Attribute Damage Wow. This is amazing! This spear really does look nice on Partner, and it also has 100 attack by itself while giving her 20 MP and even 10 Agility! Additionally, the spear tip has the Venomous Fang Effect, which can leave deadly venom inside the foes wounds. It even comes with a plus +50 damage for the venom itself to boot. Meanwhile, my new accessory gives me more of everything, and it even comes with extra damage of Dark Attribute, my main attribute! I guess the loot was worth the hard time. Partner seemed happy with her new weapon despite never having used one. She was already practicing it eagerly, pointing at the air with the spear and releasing several consecutive attacks with it. Wow, way to go! And meanwhile, I equipped my new Necklace and glanced over my Status. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Dark Ghost] [Level: [6/12] [EXP: [60/700] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [51/51] [MP: [235/235]{+60} [Attack: [42] [Defense: [37] [Magic: [235]{+28} [Agility: [50]{+20} Hmm, not bad. My Defense is clearly way better than before, and so is my HP, but I still cannot compare to Partner, who''s built like a tank. Nonetheless, my MP and Magic Stats are rising quickly. I can see that I am even more of a glass cannon. But thankfully, my Agility reaches 70 with the equipment I got too, so I am now way faster than before. Additionally, I got a wider MP pool, more Magic for more damage, and then theres the extra dark attribute damage for my Dark Sphere and Dark Gale Skills, which are dark attribute skills. With that alone, my power might have doubled if not increased a bit more. After that, what was left were the materials. The entire Manticore ended being dismantled into pieces and made into stocks of items almost magically. I dont know how thats even possible, but I assumed it was due to the game-like world I was in Or maybe the System did it for me? I am also sure that I cannot use it on living beings. I had tried it in the middle of the battle, but dismantling something alive is impossible. It would be too broken. It seems to only work on corpses, but that might include things such as the undead But with this ability, gathering items for selling or using as crafting or alchemy materials could be cheap and easy. Although, I dont even know if there are blacksmiths, alchemists, or anything in this world. Guessing by normal Isekai Swords and Magic worlds standards there should be all of that if not some more. Suddenly, I realized Partner had learned a new Skill. In just these few minutes where I was taking a little break, she acquired the [Spear Thrust] Skill! Was it because she had been thrusting her spear continuously without even taking a break for almost ten minutes? I think she was throwing a thrust every second. Perhaps there were some hidden conditions that she managed to reach due to her tireless Undead body being able to do it without any problems like exhaustion or muscle tension or whatever the living weaklings suffer. Well, Partner is just awesome. Good work! I shouted, petting Partner. *Crackle!* Now that we took a break, lets continue downstairs, I said, leading Partner down below, as she walked at my side. The stairs led below the second floor. I remember Lucifer saying there were a lot of floors, around 20? I think. But well try to rush them through, so this doesnt take too long. I dont want to spend the entire day inside a Dungeon if possible. However, on the first floor, we only encountered two monsters, and it wasnt as infested as the dungeons I made out in my mind. One of its reasons might be because it just emerged. Lucifer said that he fell here and that somehow, the ground absorbed his miasma, and this dungeon appeared, surrounding his body. This is probably why hes trapped inside. Maybe his body is way too big to get outside of the crumpled room he resides in. I dont know how I will get him out of there though, but well see how it goes. Right away, as we descended into the second floor, we were greeted by two slimy friends. One was black, and one was green. The black-colored slime was stuck in the wall, so much that someone without good vision would think it was a nasty stain. And the green slime was crawling over the ceiling and falling right on top of me- Uwah! I quickly evaded something I wouldnt have been able to easily avoid before due to the speed in which the slime fell over me. I also noticed my own increased speed, which made me a bit happy. SPLAT! The green slime splattered on the ground. The hit seemed to have hurt it a bit, and it was oddly slow; perhaps it was hungry. [Green Toxic Slime: Lv 2] [Rank: F-] [State: Starving, Weakened] I see, so youre starving, good to know, bye-bye! I quickly fired three Dark Gales towards its large and spherical core, which it exposed to the world when its slime body splattered over the floor! SLASH! CRACK! The core shattered into pieces instantly, and the slime was dead just like that. Thanks for the meal! Ding! [Youve gained 60 EXP] [EXP: [120/700] This guy didnt drop any equipment, sadly. Booo! The Black Slime noticed us at long last, it seems that it was actually sleeping, and the green slime was about to stealthy attack it and try to eat it or something. [Black Slime: Lv 7] [Rank: F+] [State: Angered] Angered? Bring it on! Partner leaped into action before me as she wanted to try out her [Spear Thrust]! CLAASH! ----- An Assortment Of Bizarre Dungeon Monsters! ----- The slime was angry! However, Partner didnt care, as she charged right towards it and immediately tried out her new Spear Weapon and her newly acquired [Spear Thrust] Skill! *Crackle!* She moved her skeletal arms fast, and the piercing attacks reached the Black Slime! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Three consecutive attacks, and as each one cost only 5 MP, she could continue to spam them as much as she wanted. The Black Slime tanked two hits using its black ooze, but its core was hit by the third hit, cracking a bit. Nows my turn! [Dark Gale]! I rushed above Partner and released a powerful slicing gale of dark winds, directly hitting the Black Slimes core! Crack CRASH! Gyeegh The Black Slime screamed an agonizing cry before dying miserably. And this time around, it didnt drop anything either. Ding! [Youve gained 80 EXP] [EXP: [200/700] I quickly decided to dismantle the two Slime carcasses. [Youve acquired the following Items] [Green Toxic Slime Ooze (F-Grade)] x1 [Green Toxic Slime Shattered Core (F-Grade)] x1 [Black Slime Ooze (F-Grade)] x1 [Black Slime Shattered Core (F-Grade)] x1 Now that we were done with this, we moved across the corridors pretty quickly, allowing us to find the stairs in just a few minutes, but no final boss was waiting for us this time. We found a little surprise on the third floor, which was an exact copy of the previous floor. Partner, what is that?! I asked while pointing at the thing in front of us. It looked like a little lizard with shiny golden eyes, and it was the size of a cat. *Rattle!* I tried firing a Dark Sphere at it while behind Partner, but the Lizard jumped into the air and evaded my attack! Eh? Hes fast! [Nimble Basilisk: Lv5] [Rank: E] [State: Scared] A basilisk? I checked the Skills it had too. One of them was named [Demon Eyes of Petrification], and it even had [Rock Projectile] as its long-ranged attack! Grrreeeee! The Basilisk roared angrily as its eyes flashed with light while falling from above and at the same time, a ray of light hit both of us. But nothing happened. Thats Status Effect Immunity for you! Thump! Greegh?! The Basilisk was shocked that we were completely unaffected by his little trick as it fell on the ground. I fired a barrage of Dark Spheres at it while draining its MP and HP. Partner cornered it from the other side as it ran away from me with its incredible Agility. We sandwiched it until it heaved its last breath. It took a while because it was very nimble and flexible, but Partner filled it with holes using her spear, and I blasted it into pieces with my attacks. [Youve gained 220 EXP] [EXP: [420/700] Woah, that was more EXP than expected. [Youve acquired the following Items] [Basilisks Petrification Eyes (E-Grade)] x2 [Basilisks Nimble Muscles and Tendons (E-Grade)] x10 [Basilisks Petrification-Resistant Scaled Skin (E-Grade)] x5 [Basilisks Blood (E-Grade)] x10 The guy didnt drop anything either, but we had our hopes up for something bigger that could give us more equipment. This seems to be the only monster on this floor. We walked onto the next floor right away, this being floor 4. In the first area, there was nothing, but we felt as if something was lurking around. I used the [Shadow Sneak] Skill and merged with the shadows, alongside [Stealth], while I left Partner to act as the bait. After waiting a bit, suddenly, something emerged from thin air, its scales turning bright, and it resembled a familiar lizard, but this one had crazy psychedelic eyes and bright scales. It even had the ability to turn itself invisible. [Illusion Lizard: Lv7] [Rank: E+] [State: Hungry] GRRYSHA! The dog-sized lizard leaped over Partner as she greeted it with her spear, hitting it consecutively on its chest. Meanwhile, I appeared from behind and sucked its MP and HP at a fast pace, while firing three Dark Gales towards it! SLASH! SLASH! CLASH! Grryyeerrgh Partners attack and my ambush worked wonderfully, killing the creature within seconds. Ding! [Youve gained 250 EXP] [EXP: [670/700] And it dropped an item! [Youve acquired the following items] [Illusion Lizard Scales Witch Hat (E-Grade): Lv4] x1 [Illusion Potion (E-Grade)] x1 [Illusion Lizard Colorful Scales (E-Grade)] x20 [Illusion Lizard Flesh and Blood (E-Grade)] x10 [Illusion Lizard Psychedelic Eyes (E-Grade)] x2 It came with a witch hat ideal for me and an Illusion Potion [Illusion Lizard Scales Witch Hat (E-Grade): Lv4] +60 MP +30 Magic +10 Agility +50 Charm [Illusion Potion (E-Grade)] A potion that can cause hallucinations to whoever drinks it. It can be thrown and create an elusive cloud of hallucinogens that last for a few minutes in any target that inhales it. Ooh, I see, so it can be thrown and splash an enemy how handy! And confuse people alright And the hat looks nice! Though, wouldnt I stand out too much as a ghost wearing a hat? Well, it seems that I can cover the equipment on my phantasmal body, so it can be masked. It also grants +50 Charm? Theres no Charm Stat, but I guess it is one of those hidden stats like Elemental Damage. I quickly wore the hat, which was shiny and gleaming with purple and pink colors. How do I look, Partner? I asked. *Rattle!* Partner seemed to like it. Afterward, I tried putting it on her, and she looked funny. I am loving your style! I chuckled. *Crackle* After taking back the witch hat, we continued our journey down below, reaching floor 5 within only a few more minutes. What greeted us was a single treasure chest sitting right in the middle of the room. Hmmm Suspicious. Partner looked at it in silence. I pointed my phantasmal hand at it and fired a Dark Sphere. CLASH! GRAKGH! I knew it. The Treasure Chest suddenly opened as large jaws emerged, alongside a long tongue-like tentacle it was obviously a Mimic! [Treasure Chest Mimic: Lv6] [Rank: E+] [State: Shocked] ----- Level Up Frenzy! ----- [Treasure Chest Mimic: Lv6] [Rank: E+] [State: Shocked] I knew it! That suspicious chest was actually a Mimic!, it was so obvious like, a shiny treasure chest sitting right in front of us in the middle of nowhere? Hows that not weird? Especially because we had not found any treasure chest yet, so it was even rarer. I mean, some na?ve guy might have thought he was finally getting lucky, go near the treasure, open it, and get eaten instantly. But not us, of course heh. The creature was terribly shocked, but I showed no mercy as I siphoned its Mana and Lifeforce while firing Dark Spheres from nearby. The chest-like shell easily cracked against my darkness, and it splattered all over the ground. The creatures true body was like that of a mass of tentacles with a large jaw attached to it. Partner went ahead and impaled it several times with her spear, filling it with venom with each thrust. The creature tried to grab her legs, but I sliced apart its tentacles until it gave up and died. I cant help but admit it looked disgusting. Ding! [Youve gained 400 EXP] [Your Level has increased to Level 7!] [The Levels of [Shadow Sneak: Lv1], [Stealth: Lv2], and [Dark Gale: Lv2], Skills have increased] Oh boy, that was a lot of EXP. I guess it really was a treasure. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Dark Ghost] [Level: [7/12] [EXP: [70/800] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [70/70] [MP: [290/290]{+120} [Attack: [56] [Defense: [52] [Magic: [295]{+58} [Agility: [70]{+30} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv2] [Shadow Sneak: Lv2] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv3] [Darkness Resistance: Lv1] [Fear Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv3] [Lesser Curse: Lv3] [Life Drain: Lv3] [Possession: Lv2] [Dark Sphere: Lv4] [Fake Life: Lv3] [Stealth: Lv3] [Dark Gale: Lv3] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv2] Looking at my stats, I noticed they had increased quite a lot once more. Each level feels I dont know how to say it Erm, delicious in a way. It just gives me a nice full feeling. As if with each level, my soul grows stronger. Partner also grew stronger, and she managed to reach Level 7 just like me, but her level cap is 10 instead of 12, so shell most likely evolve before me Hey, thats kind of not fair! Maybe my evolution is even rarer than hers? Well, anyway, this thing dropped some loot, just as if it were a treasure chest, I picked everything up. [Youve acquired the following Items] [Dark Steel Helmet (E-Grade): Lv6] x1 [Dark Steel Chest Armor (E-Grade): Lv4] x1 [Treasure Chest Mimics Shattered Shell (E-Grade)] x6 [Treasure Chest Mimics Slippery Tongue (E-Grade)] x1 [Treasure Chest Mimic Disgusting Flesh and Blood (E-Grade)] x10 Ooh! Lookie, Partner! These are ideal for you! *Rattle?* Partner admired the armor pieces, her glowing red lights shining from within her empty sockets. The armor looked nice, but I already had my witch hat, and even though I wanted the chest armor, it would get in the way of my sneaky way of fighting, so I gave it all to Partner to reinforce her defensive prowess. She quickly equipped everything and looked pretty nice! The dark metallic helmet and the chest armor made her look more fearful, like a true Skeleton Soldier you would find in a dungeon. Youre looking so cool! *Rattle!* Partner seemed happy with her new equipment, and her defensive power strengthened. After this little fight, we sneaked onto Floor 6, only to find Eh? Nothing? There was nothing on floor 6, so we slowly crawled to Floor 7. But this kept up for a while as there was nothing on Floor 7, nor 8, nor 9, nor 10 What is going on? Where were all the monsters? Mmm Maybe something is going on in the Dungeon? I guess because it is new, monsters are just beginning to emerge. However, that ended relatively quickly, as, at Floor 11, we finally found a critter to kill and get some EXP. In fact a lot! There were dozens after dozens of kitten-sized bugs. They looked like beetles and were either blue-colored, red-colored, or yellow-colored. [Blue Beetle Soldier: Lv4] [Rank: F] [State: Eating] [Red Beetle Warrior: Lv6] [Rank: F+] [State: Eating] [Yellow Beetle Scout: Lv3] [Rank: F+] [State: Eating] They were crawling through the floor, the ceiling, and everywhere! Are there a hundred?! And we also saw several carcasses of monsters which they were devouring in front of us It seems that they had been hunting the monsters on the previous floors. Whew. By using [Shadow Sneak] and [Stealth], I was able to sneak through them quickly, and they also had terrible detection abilities, which made my job even easier. I began absorbing their Mana and Life while sneaking around which began to weaken them in masse. Partner rushed right away from the staircase at my signal as she began to slaughter dozens of weakened and sickly beetles with her foot, claws, and spear. It was a bug massacre. CLASH! SPLAT! CRUSH! BOOM! I began to fire some Dark Spheres and Dark Gales, allowing for a miserable death that the bugs didnt expect. I guess they would be overwhelming in numbers against single monsters that were not as amazing as us, but we are a dream team, so we massacred them. And there were so many that I was able to absorb their Mana and Life constantly, so it was an easy job. Even if some of the red ones fired fireballs at me, I easily evaded, or Partner took the hits for me while I sliced them into nothing with [Dark Gale]. Each individual EXP was very low, but when we killed dozens after dozens, well, that became a LOT of EXP. At the end of the whole ordeal, we had leveled up more than once, but Partner was covered in bug carcasses and bug juice Ding! [Calculating EXP] [Youve gained 2650 EXP] [EXP: [2720/800] [Your level has increased to Level 8!] [Your level has increased to Level 9!] [Your level has increased to Level 10!] [EXP: 20/1100] Level up frenzy ----- Partner’s New Evolution Is Quite Shocking! ----- Ding! [Calculating EXP] [Youve gained 2650 EXP] [EXP: [2720/800] [Your level has increased to Level 8!] [Your level has increased to Level 9!] [Your level has increased to Level 10!] [EXP: 20/1200] As we massacred the buggers, we received tons of EXP and levels. Through the quick massacre, my Skills also leveled up a bit, mainly the ones I spam the most. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Dark Ghost] [Level: [7/12] -> [10/12] [EXP: [20/1100] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [110/110] [MP: [520/520]{+120} [Attack: [78] [Defense: [75] [Magic: [530]{+58} [Agility: [96]{+30} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv2] [Shadow Sneak: Lv3] (Level Up!) Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv3] [Darkness Resistance: Lv2] (Level Up!) [Fear Resistance: Lv2] (Level Up!) Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Lesser Curse: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Life Drain: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Possession: Lv3] (Level Up!) [Dark Sphere: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Fake Life: Lv3] [Stealth: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Dark Gale: Lv4] (Level Up!) Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv2] Holy shit, this is what I call fast-paced progression. Level 10 already?! And some of my Skills already leveled up pretty high now. My MP and Magic stats also reached over 500 too! Half of 1k, I am built up to kill more than ever. After this fruitful grind, I began to pick up everything hastily and then assess things by looking at the slots inside my Inventory. Ding! [You acquired the following Items] [Black Beetle Bracelet (F-Grade): Lv4] x2 [Dark Copper Greave Armor (F-Grade): Lv6] x2 [Red Beetle Shoulder Armor (F-Grade): Lv3] x3 [Yellow Beetle Leg Armor (F-Grade): Lv5] x3 [Bug Juice (F-Grade)] x74 [Varied Bug Carapaces (F-Grade)] x134 A lot of equipment dropped! And a lot of disgusting carcasses Uegh. I let Partner equip anything that could fit her, so she chose the Leg, Greaves, and Shoulder pieces. I could equip armor, but as I was phantasmal, as stated previously, it would get in the way of my sneaking around. I can hide it with my phantom body, but the material armor is still there. I need some kind of phantom armor that can turn into phantom with me or something, but this junk wont do for me. But Partner is physical, so she chose it all. At the very least, little things like bracelets can work with me, so I equipped the two bracelets. [Black Beetle Bracelet (F-Grade): Lv4] +25 MP +12 Magic +10 Dark Attribute Damage Two of these gave a nice boost to my offensive stats, so it made me rather happy with the grind. We really needed something like that, didnt we? I asked Partner. *Rattle* Partner had reached Level 10 and was ready to evolve with my command. Youre already evolving ahead of me! It makes me a bit frustrated, you know? I sighed. *Crackle* She petted my phantasmal head. Oi! Who taught you how to do that? *Crackle* Hm, I think it hasnt been much since I raised her, but she has been warming up to me more and more. Shes learning from what I do, and now she''s even learned how to pet me. Well, what are you waiting for? Evolve! I shout with excitement. *Crackle!* As her master, it seems that she needs my approval to evolve. Partner nodded as she began to glow with phantasmal essence. The phantasmal essence wrapped up her body as she began to change. Unlike what I had initially thought she would evolve into, which would probably have been a bigger skeleton with sharp bones and stuff, the changes that came to her were stranger than I could ever imagine. Tendrils started to emerge out of thin air, enveloping her bones. Muscle tendrils entangled against each other and her bones, as blood vessels surged from them, and more flesh started to grow with quite the terrifying scene. Her skull was also filled with twisting flesh as eyes appeared with crimson red pupils that looked at me. Uwah, this is actually a bit creepy! But wait, shes getting flesh?! Skin slowly began to form around her flesh, even short hair grew on her head, and a bit of hair over her eyes, creating a pair of cute eyebrows. She took out her helmet as the hair gracefully fluttered to her shoulders. It was fluffy and black. Her face looked just like when this body was alive! But a bit younger. And her skin was as brown as dirt and dry very dry. Her ears had become pointy too. She slowly took off all her armor as she revealed her entire evolution to me. Some clothes suddenly came out of nowhere. A very simple red and black dress that looked a bit tattered. But at least it covered her new body. Her hair seemed fluffy, but it was also very dry and messy so it covered her crimson eyes. W-What the heck!? Partner, you got flesh? Fwesh! Partner quickly imitated my words; she could now speak as she had a throat and vocal cords. [Partner] has evolved into [Lesser Ghoul Warrior]!] Ghoul?! Fwesh! Fwesh! Fweesh! Partner moved clumsily towards me before hugging me tightly. Feweewfg Yeah, we need to practice how to speak, dearie I sighed. Deawie Shes like a baby. Despite her dry, almost mummy-like skin, shes kind of cute. [Name: [Partner] [Race: [Lesser Ghoul Warrior] [Level: [10/20] [Rank: [E+] [Status: [Strengthened] [HP: [290/290] [MP: [65/65] [Attack: [210] [Defense: [150] [Magic: [55] [Agility: [120] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv3] [Black Steel Bones: Lv4] [Morphed Body: Lv1] [Self-Regeneration: Lv1] [Flesh Consumption: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv3] [Magical Damage Resistance: Lv2] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv4] [Bone Claw: Lv5] [Intimidation: Lv3] [Spear Thrust: Lv3] [Dark Bullet: Lv1] [Steady Fighter: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] Damn, youre strong, girl Oh, you can use Dark Bullet? Is that a lesser version of Dark Sphere? I pondered to myself out loud. Buwet ----- New Evolution Options! ----- As I glanced at Partners new appearance and status, I found out she was way stronger than an average E-Rank monster the only one I recall having such high stats was the Manticore! Well, shes E+, so that probably means shes above the average E-Rank monster. Hmm, I wonder if humans have ranks too? I wish I could take a look at them. But for now, we should concentrate on the task of rescuing a Fallen Dragon. Who would have thought that such a task would be the first one I would have? Although I couldnt help but admire the cuteness of Partner, we couldnt just sit here petting each others heads. Partner equipped her armor and held her spear once more as we decided to descend through the stairs once more. The first thing we found was! Nothing. Another empty floor. Floor 12 to 15 was a breeze, as nothing happened there wasnt even a little bug. Well, I suppose Floor 11 was filled with bugs that were hunting anything above and below. Lucifer (edgy name, I know) should be on Floor 20 if I recall correctly. Five more Floors and we can finally meet him. On floor 16, however, we met with an unprecedented challenge, a Slime Nest The stairs that led downstairs were already pretty slimy, filled with ooze, although not alive. But when we got here well, it was a slime fest! Slimes of all colors and sizes greeted us, stuck to the ceilings, the floor, the walls, and pretty much everywhere my eyes could see. It was a feast made of EXP. Of course, Slimes are still dangerous monsters, their [Digestion] can even devour souls, so they can damage me directly! But its not like I am going to let them touch me anyway! Partner started by roaring as she pointed her spear and impaled three Slimes right away. Her precise attacks were surprisingly strong, and the slime cores were shattered in an instant! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! As she advanced through the wave of slimes jumping towards us, some of them began to launch their bodies as projectiles, and the corrosive slime slowly began to burn through her clothes and armor, and even her flesh, but she seemed unaffected. She was expressionless, but this was probably due to her being undead, who cant feel pain. I didnt just float there doing nothing; I hid behind her like the excellent Ghost Queen that I am and began to fire dark spheres and dark gales in quick succession, continuously, while also absorbing Mana and Life from the Slimes, which were all mixed up around us. The result? A bombastic EXP fest! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The slimes began to explode before my almighty dark spheres! There was a lot, but they were the same slimes we met on the first floors. My magic had progressed by quite a lot, so it was customary for them to die as their cores shattered into pieces by the explosive power of my Dark Spheres or the slicing potency of my Dark Gale, all according to keikaku. Despite my reckless approach, I had carefully planned everything! Or did I? Well, the slimes were also showering me with attacks. Some of them even conjured fireballs, water bullets, and even little rocks they threw at a pretty fast speed. These were Elemental Slimes and seemed like the evolutions of the colorful slimes. However, against the might of my Dark Attribute Magic and the power of my equipment boosting my stats and the power of dark attribute damage enhancement, these slimes stood no chance! Though my HP was constantly lowering even with Partner taking some hits for me. Both of us wouldve been killed if it wasnt for our Life Drain Skills. Oh yeah, Partner also had it, so she abused it as much as she could. The amount of EXP kept piling up, and as we began to level up, we rushed across the entire floor, and we reached the end we were completely covered in slime. It had been almost an hour, and it was finally over. These insane rampages where we got a lot of EXP, but we constantly lost HP only to recover it just barely, are really addictive. Or maybe I am just addicted to the EXP gains? Huh Whatever the case, the EXP was good Well be pretty strong before Lucifer even meets us. Well have to thank him for granting us such a nice bundle of EXP for us. Ding! [Calculating EXP] [Youve gained 3760 EXP] [Your level has increased to Level 11!] [Your level has increased to Level 12!] [You can now evolve!] Level 12! I can finally evolve! Nice! How convenient that we found two giant armies of living EXP bags. Maybe I should go to the human city next and slaughter them all to get even more EXP? Massive groups of beings give the best rewards- Wait, I just got pretty genocidal all out of a sudden Why? Was I this devilish before? Maybe being a ghost fucked up my psyche? Anyways, time to evolve, no need to think about that stuff that no one cares about. We are all here for the level ups, undead, and evolution after all, right, Partner? Partner was slowly regenerating her wounds as she started to slurp the slimes. Time to evolve! Lets see [Evolution Options] [Shadow Ghost] [Wailing Ghost] [Abyssal Ghost] Three options Shadow Ghost, Wailing Ghost, and Abyssal Ghost Lets see ----- Evolving! New Skills! New Possibilities! ----- I decided to check my evolution options [Shadow Ghost] A Dark Ghost that has embraced the shadows of the night can evolve into a Shadow Ghost, a being that can embrace the shadows and become shadows themselves, mixing with them and gaining power in the night. But they become weak at day due to the intense light damaging its shadows. It possesses potent offense at night and great stealth. [Wailing Ghost] A Wailing Ghost is a ghost that attacks by screaming. Its screams can damage foes and even inflict negative status effects such as Confusion, Madness, Paralysis, and more. Wailing Ghost emerges in scenes where people were murdered horribly. The soul of that person, who died screaming in agony, becomes a Wailing Ghost who constantly haunts the area by screaming loudly. [Abyssal Ghost] A mysterious ghost that doesnt have many sightings. Its origins are mysterious, but it is said that its a special type of ghost that inhabits the underworld realm of Helheim, born from the abyssal and primordial darkness of the abyss. They possess powerful Curse, Life Draining, and Shadow and Dark Manipulating capabilities. Their Abyss can also confuse targets who look upon their figures for too long, and they are dangerous beings that masterful priests can only defeat. All three options are very interesting Shadow Ghost, Wailing Ghost, and Abyssal Ghost. What should I pick? Shadow Ghost seems to be able to fuse with shadows and bring a boost while at night but youre weak at day. Wailing Ghost is screaming. Probably wide long-ranged sound-based attacks that can inflict all sorts of negative status effects Not bad but wouldnt it be too loud? Enemies would definitely find me like that, and I prefer to be as sneaky as possible. And lastly there was the legendary Abyssal Ghost. It came with a little bit of everything. The description also praised it as a strong Ghost. So I guess I will pick the obvious choice here. Ding! [Youve chosen [Abyssal Ghost]!] FLASH! Darkness suddenly encompassed my entire being as the pure abyss consumed me. Within this abyssal darkness, I was able to see through somewhere else. For a split of a second, I found myself in a completely different place, an enormous, boundless cave-like structure that extended endlessly across my vision. Enormous creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabited the hellish place. Zombies, skeletons, ghosts, and many other Undead creatures roamed the site. The ground was gray, and enormous pits flowed with blue flames. Where am I?! Wait is this the underworld? A fitting one. Youre not from here, arent you? I heard a womans voice and as I glanced in the direction of it, what greeted me was a woman, an old woman sitting on a throne of bones. Ueh? W-Who are you, grandma? Bold enough to talk so casually with the Goddess of Death? I like you Your Skills are interesting. Your potential is endless. Good. You will become a fitting successor Goddess of Death?! Now go back. Youre not ready yet. FLASH! After the darkness dissipated, I had evolved, and I was back inside the Dungeon. My entire body gained more mass than before, and my phantasmal body felt more solid yet even more phantasmal than ever. I felt like I could easily stretch myself to unprecedented lengths. And the darkness within my soul had become greater, abyssal, even. Ding! [Youve acquired the [Hels Divine Protection] Skill] [Due to the effects of your Divine Protection, youve evolved into the [Abyssal Ghost Queen] Superior Unique Species] [All your stats have increased] [The Levels of several Skills has increased] [You learned the [Abyssal Body: Lv1], [Shadow Manipulation: Lv1], and [Summon: Lv1] Skills] [You acquired the [Undead Queen: Lv1] Title Skill] Say what?! This is more than I can take! I evolved and received a Divine Protection!? From that old grandma? Wait, was she Hel? Hel Hel she sounds familiar. Wait, isnt that the Goddess of the Underworld from Norse Mythology? Or was it Death? Or both? Well, that was it! Eh? So this world has Gods and I just met one leisurely? What kind of plot twist is this? This is not even a plot twist. Its just an asspull! I never thought I had it in me, honestly. Maybe I am really fitting of being an egocentric protagonist fufufu. I quickly checked my stats and found remarkable changes. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Abyssal Ghost Queen] [Level: [12/20] [Rank: [D] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [160/160] [MP: [860/860]{+170} [Attack: [86] [Defense: [82] [Magic: [770]{+82} [Agility: [160]{+30} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv3] [Shadow Sneak: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Abyssal Body: Lv1] (New!) Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv4] (Leve Up!) [Darkness Resistance: Lv3] (Level Up!) [Fear Resistance: Lv3] (Level Up!) Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Lesser Curse: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Life Drain: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Possession: Lv4] (Level Up!) [Dark Sphere: Lv6] (Level Up!) [Fake Life: Lv4] (Level up!) [Stealth: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Dark Gale: Lv5] (Level Up!) [Shadow Manipulation: Lv1] (New!) [Summon: Lv1] (New!) Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv3] (Level Up!) [Undead Queen: Lv 1] (New!) Divine Protections: [Hels Divine Protection] Oh my, everything went up! Though my Attack and Defense still suck, my MP and Magic are insane And my Agility has gotten pretty nice as well. Also, pretty much all skills leveled up Now I wonder what these new Skills do [Summon: Lv1] Grants the ability to summon your subordinates near you for battle. Each summon consumes a quantity of mana comparable to their strength. As long as a being is recognized as a subordinate, it can be summoned. Of course, the subordinate must also be willing to be summoned. The higher the level, the less mana cost compared to the summons power. Eh? This one is convenient if I plan to build an army ----- New Skills And Equipment Gallore ----- After evolving, getting divine protection, and all, I finally got to see my new Skills. [Summon] was pretty straightforward. It let me summon my subordinates near my position, no matter where they are! Maybe this is what Necromancers use when they make corpses pop up from the ground even when they are not even in graveyards? But I could quite possibly use it to summon a tamed monster Ive contracted with, or even human subordinates, anything, I guess. It didnt seem to have any rule or requirement aside from them being subordinates and willing. And then there is [Abyssal Body: Lv1] Grants the users body the ability to become abyssal darkness and shape itself accordingly to your will. It also has the effect of reflecting status effects, mind-related attacks, and any of such powers that a foe tries to ensue over the user. The intensity and power of such effect are increased by leveling the skill up. Grants high affinity with the Dark and Shadow Attributes, enhancing damage dealt and damage resistance by +10% with each level. Oh, this one is perhaps the thing that changed my ghost body to be so dark now It also enhances my dark and shadow attribute damage even more! And it even bounces back negative effects and the like? Interesting Its like an Uno Reverse Card sort of deal! But only at Level 1, it wont be that strong, I bet. [Shadow Manipulation: Lv1] Grants the ability to manipulate shadows in the nearby vicinity. Manipulating shadows cost constant mana and can be made solid for a small amount of time with even more mana. They can be shaped as the user likes, but the mastery over it and the control over the shadows expands as the skill levels up. Dark and Shadow Magic can be used in conjunction for greater results. This was an interesting Skill. Although it consumes a lot of Mana, it can be used in a variety of situations Maybe I could become shadows and sneak inside the room of a handsome man changing clothes, fufu Wait, I can already do that Agh! No! I am not a degenerate. [Undead Queen: Lv1] As an Undead Queen, you have a natural affinity and authority over death and the Undead. The Undead that you create receives an enhancement to their growth speed and evolution options while also receiving a temporal boost to all their capabilities below your command. The power of such effects enhances as the level increases. You can also, and more efficiently, tame Undead youve not created. Interesting, with this, Partner can grow even faster! Though, I should really get a new Undead ally But what could it be? After evolving, I have more than just two slots now. I believe I have a dozen slots for Undead that I can control and forcefully make loyal to me Although theres still a limit, at 20. Partner, what friend would you want? I asked Partner what she would like to have as a friend this time around. I glanced at the corpses we had, which were all butchered at this point Well, maybe they wont be meaty, but we can raise a skelly friend, right? Fwend! Partner looked at me, collecting all the loot that the slimes had dropped. There were some equipment and consumable items mixed into the pile as well. Ding! [Youve acquired the following Items] [Thunder Slime Earring (F-Grade): Lv3] x4 [Fire Slime Bracelet (F-Grade): Lv4] x3 [Water Slime Core Ring (F-Grade): Lv1] x2 [Multi-Color Slime Core Staff (D-Grade): Lv1] x1 [Mixed Elemental Slime Colorful Ooze (F-Grade)] x136 [Mixed Elemental Slime Colorful Shattered Cores (F-Grade)] x136 There was indeed some valuable loot in here. Slimes tend to drop a lot of accessories But this time, there was one super rare drop at D-Grade, and it was this beautiful staff with many slime cores encrusted on it, causing it to shine brightly. I decided to equip everything that I could, which included two earrings, another ring, and two bracelets, alongside the new staff! And lets check the stats [Thunder Slime Earring (F-Grade): Lv3] +20 MP +15 Magic +20 Agility +20 Thunder Attribute Damage [Fire Slime Bracelet (F-Grade): Lv4] +25 MP +20 Magic +10 Agility +10 Attack +20 Fire Attribute Damage . [Water Slime Core Ring (F-Grade): Lv1] +10 MP +5 Magic +5 Agility +10 Water Attribute Damage [Multi-Color Slime Core Staff (D-Grade): Lv1] +300 MP +200 Magic +100 Attack +50 Agility +120 All Elemental Damage Uwah, D-Grade Equipment is amazing! And its a weapon fitting for my Mage-like role! Although I would like to eventually kick some asses with physical strength someday, this isnt half-bad! It even comes with +100 Attack, so this staff can hit as hard as a baseball bat if I wanted Insane. I already had my black beetle bracelets that gave me dark attribute damage, so I decided to leave the remaining bracelets for Partner. In the end, I can only equip two. The others I would equip wouldnt give me any stats, and I knew this because I had tried doing it already. Now lets check what my actual status with the new buffs looks like [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Abyssal Ghost Queen] [Level: [12/20] [Rank: [D] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [160/160] [MP: [860/860]{+520} [Attack: [86]{+100} [Defense: [82] [Magic: [770]{+317} [Agility: [160]{+125} Pretty good if I say so myself! Already at over 1k MP! With this, I can spam Skills more efficiently, even without the need of siphoning mana, so I dont have to get so close to my enemy. Also, my Agility is pretty decent, and my Magic is also at 1k! Magic is an essential stat for me as it calculates my damage dealt using Magic attacks and reduces incoming magic damage. No matter how frail they look, the stronger a mage is, the better they are at resisting magic damage But I would imagine there could be instances where several warriors died calcinated by a giant fireball, but a mage somehow survives even without wearing armor Such a sight would be pretty hilarious. After equipping her own earrings, bracelets, and rings, Partner looked very pretty! You really look like a cute girl now, Partner! Bweute girl? Yeah! Pat, pat, pat! I petted Partners head, and after a bit, we decided to continue through the dungeon. ----- A New Undead Friend! ----- After showering my dear Partner with some affection, we decided to continue through this damn dungeon! It has been a nice ride, and thankfully, the next floors were cheap and easy. Ah! Right, I forgot, the new partner I am just happy with only you, but I guess we really need a new party member Or many more It would honestly be a headache to find them EXP to level up, though I sighed. Exupe Well, I am abbreviating it, but it is said as Experience Points, I said. Expewience Point Yeah, just like that! Youre learning pretty fast, arent you? I quickly took out the bones I stored in my inventory. I didnt want to use smelly meat to make some flesh zombie or something because I dont know if that could even be possible with butchered meat that was mushed all over. I piled up the bones of the Manticore, which were solid and sturdy, alongside those of the Lizards we fought. There werent any other bones than these guys, as the other creatures were boneless. The bugs had carapaces, but thats technically not bones. Should I raise them separately? I pondered to myself. As the dungeon goes deeper, monsters become stronger, so these weak level 1 skeletons wouldnt amount to anything against a group of slimes and wouldnt even be able to safely leech for EXP because for that they need to land at least one hit. And before that even happens, they will get eaten in an instant. After all, theyre all delicious bones, so the monsters around here would gladly give them a try in order to get some calcium running through their body. Due to that, I decided to use the entire pile of bones to raise a single individual, hoping that adding more bones would make a difference I considered giving it flesh, but I couldnt help thinking that the flesh would be left behind Well, I dont lose anything putting some over it. I also added some slime cores, the basilisks eyes, and a bit of the manticores black fur, which was absolutely gorgeous. Lets see what kind of weird thing comes out of this mix-up of materials [Fake Life]! FLASH! I used [Fake Life] with the intention of making a single being with the items before me. And as phantasmal energies began to be absorbed from the environment, it slowly formed a phantasmal soul, which infused itself into the pile of items. Suddenly, a wondrous sight shone before our eyes. The bones began to pile up and rearrange themselves into a figure resembling the manticore, but way stronger and much bigger. The flesh, which was a mixture of all the fleshy creatures we killed, began to move around like a slime before sticking to the bones. The black pelt of the manticore stretched itself and covered the entire body as the basilisk eyes inserted themselves into the empty eye sockets The Slime Cores mixed inside of the empty body it had, filling it with colorful mana. And it was done. Ding! [Youve Raised a [Undead Black Cat Chimera]!] Black Cat?! And it looked like a cat, yeah, but enormous. More like a panther! It took some of the shape of the manticore, which was more lion-like, but its ears were more like a house cats ears, and it had a thin black tail instead of a snake. And from within it, I could feel a strong aura radiating outwards It looked at us with the Basilisk eyes it had, flashing with eeriness. A cat Cat? Meow! The giant black cat sat down and glanced at us before meowing. Uwah, its actually cute Im gonna name you Kuro! Nice to meet you. Meow! Ding! [Youve named your servant [Kuro]!] Now lets check Kuros stats! [Name: [Kuro] [Race: [Undead Black Cat Chimera] [Level: [1/15] [Rank: [F+] [Status: [Happy] [HP: [95/95] [MP: [72/72] [Attack: [86] [Defense: [75] [Magic: [82] [Agility: [85] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Chimera: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Artificial Elemental Cores: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv1] [Shapeshift: Lv1] [Self-Regeneration: Lv1] [Flesh Consumption: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv1] [Cursed Black Flare Breath: Lv1] [Shadow Claws: Lv1] [Fireball: Lv1] [Water Bullet: Lv1] [Thunder Shock: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] I dont know what gender it is, but I will call it boy for now because the manticore was a male. First of all, the stats are pretty good! Kuro started right away as an F+ Rank Monster, meaning that it had higher stats from the get-go, but it needs more levels to evolve. But, some exciting news is that it also came with more skills than I expected! [Shapeshift] seems to help him become smaller or bigger, with a max height of plus one meter, but he can reduce his size with much more ease. And the limit is about the size of an actual cat Very cute. He also comes with the [Artificial Elemental Cores] Skill, which helps him use other elemental magic without having its original affinity. Although this seems limited and doesnt have much potential, but at least it works. He has many attacking methods, being [Cursed Black Flare Breath: Lv1], [Shadow Claws: Lv1], [Fireball: Lv1], [Water Bullet: Lv1], and [Thunder Shock: Lv1]! I remember that breath that almost killed us back then [Shadow Claws] seem pretty good as well. However, what surprised me is that he didn''t come with an evil eye of petrification does he need something to trigger its power? Or maybe he could get it after evolving I hope, or I just wasted some precious materials. Meow! Kuro received our caressing as we touched his fluffy hair. After that, he let us ride on him. By materializing legs and sitting on his back, Kuro can carry me around. Partner sat down in front of me and then let me grab her shoulders. And just like that, Kuro rushed downstairs as we began to slaughter the monsters we encountered along the way. We found some more slimes, but not as many, a few beetles, and another illusion lizard, which Partner killed by jumping over its head and impaling it with her spear. The monster''s EXP wasnt as good now that we required so much to level up but it was better than nothing! I grabbed the drops, but we didnt find anything worthwhile, and Kuro couldnt equip the items. But at least he leveled up a bit. After a breeze, we reached the last floor [You gained 1156 EXP] [EXP: [1156/1800] ----- Meeting The Fallen Dragon! ----- A large red gate emerged before us at the end of floor 19. On the other side of the gate was floor 20, the last floor of the dungeon! Lucifer, are you there? Youve come Thank you I am surprised by how strong youve grown. Lucifer quickly answers me. Yeah, your dungeon was a pretty good source of EXP for Partner and me. We even got a new companion along the way. A new companion? Ah a black cat? I see W-Well, step inside. I will show you how Well, you will see how I am now. Lucifer sighed. As I wondered what was wrong with this depressive dragon, we opened the red gates and walked downstairs. Slowly yet steadily, Kuro carried us on his back towards Floor 20. Within the darkness, something glowed. Two blue eyes resided in the darkness, resembling phantasmal flames like those of a Will-o-Wisp. We took a torch and illuminated the place, Lucifers appearance greeting us. This is what remains of my former self. But this is just. Bwones! Indeed, just as Partner said Lucifer was just bones, and bits of dry skin stuck to them. His eyes were empty, and only two little blue flames resided within the eye sockets. Thats right I am just bones now. I cannot move from here because my soul seems sealed into the dungeons structure. Lucifer sighed, his voice emerging from his soul that was stuck to his skeleton. So youre dead? I asked. T-Thats right I saw how you were able to raise Undead, and I thought that perhaps By raising me as your Undead, you could free me from this damned place. Said Lucifer. I see But wait, couldnt you do it for yourself? You raised the undead in the graveyard! I asked. No, thats different. Unlike you, who has the innate power over Death, what I did was merely infect the graveyard with Miasma that leaked from my remains. Miasma naturally corrupted the souls within that place and raised Undead without any of my powers playing into account. Miasma is even capable of forcing mutations into living beings as well. Said Lucifer. I see You got pretty lucky then! I am quite a proficient user of [Fake Life]! Thank you Erm, what is your name? Well. (Should I use my past worlds name? Hm better not) Names Maria! You can call me Mary too or whatever, I said. I see! When you raise me as an undead, I will end up becoming your subordinate So I better know your name beforehand. Said Lucifer. Yeah! But are you okay with this? I thought dragons were prideful beings. Wouldnt it be a disgrace to serve a ghost after death? I would think that if you were a prideful dragon, you would rather die or go to peace than serve someone as humble as me. I asked. Thats an interesting question, but I dont think youre so humble. Lucifer muttered. What did you say?! N-Nothing! Erm Well, I am not like that. Ive always wanted to live a lot. Yes, I am prideful, but I am also filled with wrathful and vengeful thoughts. This is why my soul has stayed here for so long, perhaps Due to that, I can throw away my pride and honor as a dragon and serve you as long as I can have the opportunity to one day exert revenge against those that did all this to me, my family, and the Demon King my lord. Lucifer sighed once again. Oof, theres a lot of things going on here that I dont know about Hm, seems like a heavy topic Well, we can talk that out later on. No need to force yourself to talk about this stuff if you dont want to. I said with a smile. Lucifers phantasmal eyes flicked a bit as I sensed some of his emotions wriggling. T-Thanks Youre more considerate than I thought, Mary. Now! [Fake Life]! FLAAAASH! I immediately used [Fake Life], causing my mana to pour into the skeletal corpse of Lucifer! E-Eh? Y-Youre doing it already?! Yeah! Now, rise, my fallen dragon! I shouted with excitement Ive always wanted to say something this edgy. GUUUOOOOOOHHH! Lucifer began to scream as if he was being showered in power. His soul began to mutate with my power as the phantasmal energies merged with him and his remains. FLASH! The bones began to crackle and rattle, unifying themselves with the help of the phantasmal force of his soul! Clank clank! As if they were reassembling themselves, the bones quickly began to regain mass, as I realized that I could actually give him some flesh too! I opened my Inventory and threw all the meat I had, some Slime Cores, and even the other lizards scales, eyes, and whatever else I found. E-Eh? What are you throwing at me? UAAAGGH! Magic materials so you can get some flesh too! Necromancy is like crafting in this world, so the more materials you got, the higher quality the Undead becomes! Now rise! The flesh began to spiral around his body and the bones stuck to one another. Scales were added to the areas with no scales, and the cores moved inside the empty ribcage. All the materials went into their respective places, and he even got new eyes, which were the ones from the illusion lizards. BOOM! An explosion of phantasmal energy was released all around us, and after a few seconds, the smoke slowly dissipated, revealing a new freshly risen Undead. Ding! [Youve Raised a [Lesser Dracolich Chimera]!] Eh? After all those materials, this guy is still lesser?! Damn Well, maybe Dracolich are strong, so even as he is now, he is lesser compared to true Dracolich Yeah, lets leave it at that. Ugh I feel strange, but At the same time, familiar with this body? I really do have flesh now. Lucifer mutters. Lucifer emerged from within the smoke. He had gained a more dragon-like appearance than just bones stuck together, but he still looked rather old, rugged, and dry. His eyes shone with bright colors, and he exuded a strong magical power from his chest, where all the shattered slime cores were assembled. Good morning, sunshine! I said. ----- Awaken, My Dragon! ----- Awaken, my dragon! What are you even saying? Rise, my Fallen Dragon! Stop it already. I invoke you, Dracolich Chimera! Cut it out! Whats wrong with a little intensity? You are a legendary dragon and everything Cant a girl get hyped for a bit? I sighed. Yeah, but that was a bit anticlimactic! Lucifer shouted. Grao! Partner roared as she didnt like how Lucifer treated me. I caressed her head in order to calm her down. There, there, calm down, Partner. We have to be more respectful with our elders. This old man lacks a lot of humoristic sense, I said. D-Dont call me grumpy! Lucifer cried. Hehe, it''s funny to see you get angry, E-Eeeh? Lucifer suddenly got embarrassed. I decided to check his stats and see what he was made of [Name: [Lucifer] [Race: [Lesser Dracolich Chimera] [Level: [1/30] [Rank: [D+] [Status: [Embarrassed], [Flustered], [Secretly Happy] [HP: [320/320] [MP: [340/340] [Attack: [185] [Defense: [105] [Magic: [255] [Agility: [70] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dragon: Lv--] [Chimera: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fire Element: Lv--] [Artificial Elemental Cores: Lv--] [Morph: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv1] [Shapeshift: Lv1] [Self-Regeneration: Lv1] [Flesh Consumption: Lv1] [Hardened Dragon Scales: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv1] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv1] [Elemental Damage Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv1] [Phantasmal Flames Breath: Lv1] [Phantom Claws: Lv1] [Fireball: Lv1] [Dark Sphere: Lv1] [Mana Mastery: Lv1] [Intimidating Aura: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] [Fallen Dragon: Lv--] Well, well, well, would you look at that? Hes strong from the get-go! Although his Skills are all Level 1, his stats are pretty amazing! Hes also at D+ Rank! Hm Well, seeing how high his stats are, it makes sense. Although his Agility is very low, hes slow, which I guess makes sense seeing how big he is. Hes pretty decent Ill give you that His skills are pretty good as well Hes got a nice mix of defense and offense and some magic coupled with his breath and claws skills. He also seems to have a dragon scales skill, which reinforces them. He also has [Shapeshift] so he can grow smaller or bigger, allowing him to be able to sneak out of here. Nice. But what is the [Morph] Skill you got? Eh? You can see through the Soul Scripts?! The what? Soul Scripts? Whats that? Soul Scripts are the scripts of our soul, where our abilities are located and where they develop. Every Ability or Skill we possess is part of our Soul Script. The more they develop, the stronger our soul grows, but the bigger the burden it becomes as well Huh, so thats what you call it You cant see it directly like I do? I asked. I can inspect my own soul and see through my power, but I am not able to do the same with others However, It seems that youre capable of doing that, Yup, so whats the deal with [Morph]? I asked. Its the ability that any Dragon is born with. It lets us become Well, just see. Lucifer suddenly activated the Skill, and he exploded into a burst of phantasmal smoke! Poof! The phantasmal smoke dissipated and what remained of him was a way smaller figure Of around probably almost two meters tall. Eh? A human?! Lucifer emerged in his human-like form! Indeed. It is more like a demon than a human All Intelligent Races of Beasts, Dragons, Demons, and Monsters possess the Morph Skill after reaching maturity. With it, we can morph into a humanoid figure that represents us. It is a power that was designed so we could communicate better with lowly races such as Humans, Lucifer explained. I see Who are you calling lowly race?! Well, youre a ghost now, so it wasnt for you. Lucifer sighed a bit. Anyways His appearance was nothing but handsome. Lucifer looked like a slim and mildly muscular man, with a tall figure, pale-white skin, sharp eyes that gleamed with dark colors, long silvery-white hair that reached down to his shoulders, and two spiraling black horns growing from his forehead. He had scales on his feet and arms and a few all around his body. He also had wings and a tail, but using [Shapeshift], he could hide those features, and even his horns and scales, if he wanted to. He had a stoic and slender face with a pointy nose and sharp chin. He really looked like a handsome man from a dating sim game or something I had to admit it. I couldnt get my eyes off him W-What? Why are you looking at me so intensively? He timidly asked. Fuehehe Ah! Nothing! I said while averting my gaze. He was able to generate clothes through [Morph], so he wore a white shirt that revealed a bit of his chest, tight black pants, and leather boots with black gloves. Do you get it?! He looked extremely charming! If we get him to town, all the girls will be falling for him in no time Now! My loyal subordinates, lets get out of here! Wait, is there any last treasure? I asked. No there wasnt any. The dungeon core wasnt accessible to me either, Lucifer replied. Meh, what a letdown Welp, lets get going, As we walked upstairs, Lucifer began to talk about stuff. You know? I might have become your servant, but y-you shouldnt abuse it! I wont let you touch me or anything like that! Lucifer said as if he was a bashful maiden. Eh?! What are you even talking about? Are you calling me a degenerate? I am a pure and virginal maiden! I said. You were looking at me quite oddly! Lucifer replied. It was just that I liked your boots! I dont even have legs, you know? So I obviously get envious when I see someone with such nice boots, Youre not good at lying. Lucifer sighed. But its the truth! Right, Partner? Partner was looking at Lucifer with squinting eyes Was she jealous? Hmm She muttered. Ugh, whats wrong now? *Sigh* Kuro, youre the only one I have at my side, it seems. I sighed. Meow! TRUUUUMMM! However, just as we were walking upstairs, a tremor shook the walls. An enormous magic circle emerged on the floor where Lucifers corpse was, and a gigantic figure began to be summoned from it. No way ----- Boss Battle! Against The Dark Shadow Hydra! 1/2 ----- A small spherical jewel shined brightly with black light within the dungeons depths born from Lucifer. It seemed to sense that its connection to its major provider of energy and miasma, Lucifer, has been suddenly cut. Feeling alarmed, the Dungeon Core decided to quickly spend almost all of its saved-up energy and summon a new Dungeon Boss to protect the Dungeon, as of it was by instinct It needed to protect itself! After all, a being so strong that it divided it from its main power source, Lucifer, just appeared. So, of course, it needed to retaliate. It needed to fend off such a threat before it could endanger the life of the dungeon core itself! ----- TRUUUUMMM! However, just as we were walking upstairs, a tremor shook the walls. An enormous magic circle emerged on the floor where Lucifers corpse was, and a gigantic figure began to be summoned from it. No way We glanced at the beast being born. It seemed around ten meters tall, and it had four heads, with long necks wriggling around like snakes. Its body was coated in black scales, and each head had eyes with different colors It had a bright jewel on its chest, four limbs resembling those of a lizard, and a short tail. To say the least, it emanated a deadly presence [Dark Shadow Hydra: Lv10] [Rank: D+] [State: Wrathful] Ugeh D+ Rank?! We better escape! I shouted. I agree. Although we could get stronger by defeating it, its not worth the risk! Lucifer added. Meow! Call us cowards or whatever. I dont give a damn! We quickly began to rush upstairs, but suddenly GGRRYSSHAAAA! The giant Hydra seemed angry that we began to cowardly run away, as it extended one of its necks way farther than what shouldve been possible with its length and caught Lucifer with its jaws! Ugh! Damn it! FLAAASH! Lucifer was dragged down as he quickly exploded into phantasmal smoke, transforming into his dragon form once more! Ugh, damn it! Alright then! I will slaughter you if you want to die so badly! roared Lucifer, as his claws began to slash through the Hydras jaws and heads while his phantasmal breath burnt through its body. However, those scales looked tough. They were barely taking much damage! This was because the Hydra had the [Reflective Scales] Skill which had the power to reflect a part of any type of elemental damage, effectively negating an amount of the damage taken. This made even Lucifers powerful attacks not that strong. Maaoooo! Kuro suddenly charged downstairs without even asking me what we had to do. His feeling of companionship with Lucifer had developed quite quickly! Fight! Partner coated her spear with her mana as it began to exude a large quantity of venomous aura from within. I guess we are fighting then ALRIGHT! [Mana Siphon], [Life Drain]! We quickly jumped into battle, and as we were all Undead, we began with [Life Drain], slowly draining the life of the Hydra from all sides! GGRYYSHAA! Lucifer acted as the main tank, being the only one capable of taking the hits of such a gigantic beast. RRAAA! SLASH! CLAAASH! Lucifer slashed through the Hydras necks, however, the Hydra used one of its heads as a weapon, attacking and hitting Lucifers head with it! I never knew they used their heads in such a way Meanwhile, as I constantly drained its Mana slowly, I began to conjure all I had! Dark Spheres emerged one after another in groups of four, clashing against the body of the Hydra, completely bombing it. Dark Gales concentrated into a large vortex of slicing dark winds, attacked the Hydras heads! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOMMM! GGRYYAAAARR! Despite its [Darkness Resistance] and [Reflective Scales] skills, the beast seemed to have taken some damage from my attacks. This was probably because my Dark Attribute Damage even has bonuses from my equipment, and those bonuses might had canceled out the damage reduction of its skills to a certain extent! Partner used her spear to move gracefully around the battlefield. She began to pierce the Hydras limbs with [Spear Thrust] and injected deadly venom into the open wounds. Although it didnt seem as effective due to the beasts [Poison Resistance], but at the very least it wasnt a full-on immunity, so there was some slow damage per second that ticked away at its health! GRAO! Kuro roared fiercely like a lion as he began to fire fireballs, water bullets, and thunderbolts towards the Hydra, bathing it with multi-elemental damage. It wasnt as strong as the rest of us, but Kuro was doing his part! However, the Hydra was a strong D+ Rank monster. It wasnt going to go down easily! GGRYSHA! Although Lucifer was bothering its movements the most, it suddenly glared at me with three of its heads! FLASH! All three heads eyes flashed with bright lights, as a storm of elements befell upon me! TRUUUMMMM!!! Lightning, wind, and fire reached me as the Hydra utilized its powerful Skill [Instant Casting] to conjure [Fireball], [Thunderbolt], and [Wind Gust] combined into what seemed to be a destructive storm of elements. I barely managed to dodge, but the powerful attack clashed against the wall behind me, and some of its shockwaves of elements reached my phantasmal body, damaging me. My HP almost hit zero just from the after-effects of the deadly combination. Imagine if that thing had hit me head on! My HP began to slowly come back to me through [Life Drain], but the monsters HP was rather high, and disappointingly, it had yet to reach 50%. Be more careful! Lucifer shouted, reprimanding me. Well, we wouldnt be fighting this thing if it wasnt because you got so easily caught! I shouted back. W-What did ya saaayy?! CLAASH! The Hydra suddenly hit Lucifers head with a bonk! But Lucifer retaliated with a roar, releasing his phantom flame breath towards the beast''s eyes. GRRRYYAARR! Right its eyes! If it does not focus its eyes on something, it cant conjure magic precisely Use your claws to slash their eyes off! I shouted. The eyes right! ----- Boss Battle! Against The Dark Shadow Hydra! 2/2 ----- In some fictional stories, you might be supposed to defeat a hydra by cutting all of its heads at the same time, right? Well, in this world, there is the concept of HP! No matter how much a monster fights, it wont die as long as it has HP. However, due to this, they are also bound to die if the HP goes down to zero. Therefore, we decided to ignore the Hydras [Head Regeneration] Skill, which let it instantly regenerate a whole head if it was lost. So, we decided to slowly drain away all of its HP with a variety of attacks from all around. Meanwhile, this skill didnt seem to affect the head when it was not cut, so we just had to blast its eyes off! RRRAAAA! Lucifer used his sharp claws to reach the Hydras front head and slashed through its eyes! GGRRYSSSSHHAAA! However, the Hydra screamed furiously as it bathed Lucifer with several elemental attacks! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Damn it! Lucifer lost one of his arms and a wing in the process, so he was forced to pull back. We had no healers here, and I was running low on options. I needed a more penetrative attack! Come on If I have Supreme Magic, I can do whatever I want with magic, right? Then I should be able to learn something! I began to shape pure darkness into a long and pointy form and then I launched it! FLAAAAAASH! The spear arrow of darkness reached one of the Hydras heads and impaled its eyes right away, from left to right, like a skewer! GGRYYSSHA! The head cried out in agony as blood began to flow from its enormous wound. Ding! [Youve learned the [Shadow Spear Arrow: Lv1] Skill!] Oh! It emerged as a skill! This is exactly what I needed! I already had an explosive Dark Sphere and a sharp Dark Gale, so now I have the piercing Shadow Spear Arrow! I quickly absorbed more Mana from the Hydra, which had a tremendous pool, before I began to fire Spear Arrows of Shadows in quick succession! Meanwhile, Kuro and Partner continued to attack its limbs until one of them seemingly broke, making the creature trip over! BOOOMMM!!! We abused this as we continued to shower it with attacks, and Lucifer roared furiously, jumping over the beast, and using his heavy weight to crush its bones! GRRRAAA! YOU DAMN LIZARD!!! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! GGRRYYSSSHAA! The Hydra was on its last moments, but I had to kill it quickly before it triggered the [Last Minute Healing] Ability it had! Seriously, this thing is seriously overpowered! Who made it?! I created a gigantic spear made of shadows, exhausting almost all of my mana and then launching it at the beasts chest! FLAAAAASH! It reached its chest and pierced through its large jewel, making the creature vomit mouthfuls of blood that flowed from each and every head. GGRRYYYSSSSHAAAAGGGHH! BOOOM! The monster gave up at long last, and its health dwindled down to zero! Ding! [Youve gained 10000 EXP!] [EXP: [11156/1800] [Your Level has increased from Level 12 to Level 13!] [Your Level has increased from Level 13 to Level 14!] [Your Level has increased from Level 14 to Level 15!] [Your Level has increased from Level 15 to Level 16!] [Your Level has increased from Level 16 to Level 17!] [EXP: [856/2600] [You have acquired the [Dungeon Conqueror: Lv--] and [Big Game Slayer: Lv--] Title Skills!] Oh boy What? How much did I level up? Five times? Damn And I got two titles out of it! I glanced at everyone else, and I seemed to be the only one that got them Hehe I guess thats what you get for finishing off the dungeons last boss? Hahh How was that thing so hard to kill? Lucifer breathed a sigh of exhaustion. Even as an Undead, he was exhausted Well, we get tired when we use a lot of mana, even as Undead, so it''s understandable. Fweehh Partner was resting on the ground. Mraoo Kuro was also exhausted. Everyone seemed to get a ton of levels too! Kuro reached max level right away, while Partner was just one level from it. Lucifer just barely got to Level 6 as he was so strong, so leveling up was quite troublesome. Our status also healed when we leveled up, so the exhaustion was more like the soul getting lazy. However, we didnt have time to rest. I forced myself to move and quickly decided to save the entire monster corpse inside my inventory and check it with the drops later. We didnt have to relax leisurely. I felt some life signs above. Yeah, since I evolved, Ive detected life as something like a sixth sense. A large group of strong life signs is approaching us from the layers above. I grabbed Lucifers arm and stuck it to his body by manipulating phantom forces and using them like glue. It worked pretty well, also with his wing. Ding! [Youve learned the [Undead Healing: Lv1] Skill!] Eh? Another skill I guess with this, I can heal everyone else! But the Mana Cost will be painful Anyways, now, lets get going. I can sense several presences coming down here! We might end up fighting right away, so get prepared for what might come! I warned everybody. Damn it, who else is coming now? Wait You said there was a town nearby? It could be Adventurers They found out my dungeon so fast! Said Lucifer, as we all mounted Kuro before he began to rush upstairs. We rushed through several floors in a breeze as Kuro had grown superfast after leveling up quite a lot. And within just a few minutes, we had already reached the tenth floor where we finally heard them. Why are there no monsters here? So weird Yeah, we only found some ooze and bug juice around. Did a monster enter and eat everything inside? Wait, if thats the case, shouldnt we go back and report this?! Y-Youre right! Eh? The Adventurers suddenly realized that they were being too reckless and rushed upstairs, running back to their town. Well, I guess they werent stupid. We reached the surface and dived deep into the Dark Forest without any problems. I guess life doesnt always have to end in conflicts! ----- Time To Explore The Town Where I Was Beheaded! ----- The Duke of the town of Affnaria, Duke Allen, suddenly received news regarding the Dungeon. So, what is it? He asked his assistant. Well the first party reached there, but they found absolutely nothing. The monsters were all cleansed. There wasnt even a single monster carcass left Only some of the juice of what seemed to be bug monsters and slime ooze was stuck to the ceilings and walls. The assistant replied. What? Well, did they get to the last floor? Can they conquer the dungeon? No, well, the first party and all those that were going there stopped traversing any deeper as they had reported that they felt incredibly powerful presences from deep down. The artifacts had said that there could be monsters above D-Rank there E or F Rank Adventurers cannot possibly fight such beasts. Said the assistant. Thats So this monster just ate all the others?! Well have to prepare a raid with more competent Adventurers then Where is Camilla? Allen asked. Camilla The B-Rank Adventurer of this town is currently on a mission in the duchy of Veredictus, fighting against the Monster Tide that had spawned there. Replied the assistant. Damn it! That damn useless Hansel! Grabbing my strongest adventurer away! Allen roared before slamming his desk. Duke Hansel was the Duke of the Veredictus Duchy, and was a younger sibling of Allen. It could be said that Allen didnt had such a good relationship with any of his siblings, which he despised. Duke Hansel had paid a hefty sum for Camillas assistance, my lord. R-Right Well, well have to employ other adventurers from another place, or we could contract mercenaries and send them to die until they find out what monsters there are so we can build a proper counterfeit. Allen said. My lord, that''s quite barbaric. Well, why should I care? Call the mercenary guild and put up the quests there. Adventurers can go on if they want to investigate the monster. V-Very well Sighed the assistant. As the assistant walked away, Allen sighed. Ugh, what am I going to do? Suddenly, a small bat emerged in the open window, glaring at him with flashing crimson-red eyes Do you want our assistance, mortal? Tch Allen clicked his tongue. We can do it without a problem. The night has already fallen Just say the word. I dont want to owe any more favors to you bloodsuckers than I already owe! Allen responded. Youre missing a great opportunity. The profit of owning a dungeon is immense. Ugh Heh, well, if you dont want to But let me tell you something. Aside from the dungeon, I sensed something else going around the edge of town. Three strong monsters are roaming this place. W-What?! Well, lets see how you can handle it by yourself. Said the bat before flapping its wings and flying away. W-Wait! Damn it more monsters?! Duke Allen began to drip cold sweat as he rushed outside his office to tell his assistant to quickly prepare a knight brigade to defend the town from these monsters that the mysterious bat had noticed wandering around. Meanwhile, the bat flew through the air, above the forest, glaring down at the entities lurking around town Hmm This scent Undead? Well, I shouldnt care about this. My lord has already told me not to intervene anymore. These arrogant humans believe they can handle things by themselves, so lets leave them to do so Kukuku The bat flew far away, leaving the town and the forest behind ----- We had been walking for around half a day around the forest, exploring the place and mostly resting as we just had an intense journey through the dungeon. Night came quickly, and Kuro had also evolved in the meantime He had reached max level from the EXP from the Hydra, and now, he looked even more beautiful. His body grew larger and more muscular, and his eyes flashed with eeriness. He also had golden marks across his body, but when he reduced his size, he still looked like a cute black cat. Here are his stats now as a reference: [Name: [Kuro] [Race: [Undead Darkness Cat Chimera] [Level: [1/25] [Rank: [D] [Status: [Happy] [HP: [235/235] [MP: [122/122] [Attack: [275] [Defense: [110] [Magic: [215] [Agility: [250] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Chimera: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Artificial Elemental Cores: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv3] [Shapeshift: Lv3] [Self-Regeneration: Lv3] [Flesh Consumption: Lv3] [Evil Eyes of Petrification: Lv1] [Shadow Mane: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv4] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv3] [Cursed Black Flare Breath: Lv4] [Shadow Claws: Lv4] [Fireball: Lv3] [Water Bullet: Lv3] [Thunder Shock: Lv3] [Intimidation: Lv1] [Roar: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] He had jumped all the way to D-Rank! And hes quite strong! I cant help but admit it! Additionally, he gained four new Skills, [Evil Eyes of Petrification: Lv1], [Shadow Mane: Lv1], [Intimidation: Lv1], and [Roar: Lv1]! Yes, he seems to have gained the power of petrification! With this, he had become quite deadly, but because it is level 1, it would take a while for it to actually do some potent damage. [Shadow Mane] is a Skill that summons a mane of shadows around his head and neck, which he can control at will. It even comes with a small pocket space inside. [Intimidation] releases a natural intimidating aura, which can make weaker enemies tremble and become paralyzed. Foes of equal strength might also be frightened and [Roar] is a shockwave-based attack. It can deal damage by merely roaring. As of now, I was sneaking around the towns walls, stalking over them, and looking at what the humans were doing inside. Damn, there are a lot of people here all sorts of humans And there are also some Elves, people with pointy ears, and I think I saw some dwarves and halflings interesting. My goal as of now is to infiltrate a library in this world and figure out where the heck I am and where I should go. But I am a terrifying monster! How can I sneak into town? Well, when night fell, the darkness came, and as a ghost of shadows and darkness, I am more comfortable here. Also, for the most part, the citizens went into their homes. I decided to leave my team outside the walls for now while I sneaked into the town at night. Come back soon! Dont you dare get lost! Lucifer said. Does he thinks hes my father or something?! ----- Eh? Why Are You So Weak? ----- As I sneaked across the streets of this town, I heard some people walking around, so I hid with [Shadow Sneak] utilizing the shadows of the night. Have you heard the news? Oh yeah, the dungeon that spawned. They said that there was a big D-Rank monster there that ate all the other monsters Man, what the heck is wrong with the knight brigade? Cant they move their asses and exterminate that thing already? D-Rank Monster? Wait, dungeon? Lucifers dungeon? I see, so the guys we heard running away already informed the town Also, this place has a knight brigade Should I ask these people? Wait, I am a ghost Maybe if I suppress my power and shape myself as a woman and Oh, there''s leather right there. I take a leather piece that is covered in some nasty stuff I found in an alley and then slowly approach the two guys talking near a bar. Heeeyy Can you tell me whats the name of the tooown? The two men slowly move their faces to glance at me. Huh? Eh? Pretty please? Their eyes are suddenly filled with utter fear as their eyes turn black, and foam begins to rise from their mouths. G-G-GHOST! GYAAAAAGH! BOOM! The two cried in fear and fell onto the ground, unconscious Ding! [Youve gained 300 EXP] [EXP: [1156/2600] Eh?! One of them died out of fear?! Youve gotta be kidding me! Am I that scary?! Wait, was that my Abyssal Bodys effect? Eh? What happened? Someone cried Oi! Shit, people are finding out [Shadow Sneak]! I quickly dived into the shadows and rushed away. I better not ask any humans ever again. I seem to be lethal just by talking to them Geez, how are they so weak, I mean, seriously? Maybe I am too strong? I need some way to suppress my scary aura. But he gave me 300 EXP, and he looked like an average guy. He didnt even have any noteworthy skills And his stats were abysmal compared to a monster that could give me that amount of EXP How strange are humans naturally juicy in EXP? Are they born as EXP bags? Or maybe, as a monster, I get more EXP by killing humans? Huh Anyways, this wasnt my mission. I rushed around the streets until I suddenly found something interesting, a large building that had a big book-shaped sign on it. The library! Somehow, I can talk and even read this worlds language, which was probably from my knowledge while I was alive. I entered the library, which was closed, through trespassing the walls like the amazing ghost I am. Being a ghost is pretty cool, by the way. You can just phase through anything. Through my natural dark vision, I looked at the librarys interior and began to see the piles of books lined up on the shelves. Oh damn, so many books. Wait, why do I have to sit here? I can just steal everything I opened my inventory and began throwing every book I saw inside. Yeah, dont mind me! Its just books! Hehehe I emptied the entire library in just a few minutes! I love to read books, so this is amazing loot for me! Now, what else? I might as well steal these pens, papers, and this is this a watch? I threw it inside anyways. And, done! I quickly sneaked outside as I had already acquired what I wanted. I could get greedier and go steal food inside some shop or even magic items, but honestly, I dont want to, and I fear that I might be found out by some Overpowered Priest who will purify me into the afterlife if I stay here for too long. I rushed into the sky before flying outside the town. Phew, success! I also summoned my guys near me once I got outside. Uwah! Is this the Summon Skill? Dont summon us without telling us beforehand! Lucifer shouted. Master! I missed chu! Partner hugged me as she rubbed her face against me. I was just gone a few hours, Partner. It wasnt too long. I sighed. Mrao! Kuro rubbed his face on my belly. Aw, you guys are so lovely! Now, what did you get? I could explain to you a bit of how this world is, you know? You didnt have to go steal books. Sighed Lucifer. Yeah, but youre super old, so your info must be outdated, I said. Thats true. We decided to move farther away from the town as we began to browse through the books. The Secrets Behind Magic, Top 10 Best Fire Magic Tips for Beginners, How To Raise Your Giant Bird, Lingerie For Witches, 60 Shades of White So many literature books and magic teaching texts I mean, they look interesting But its not what I want. I sighed. We were browsing through a pile of books I threw onto the ground until Lucifer found something. Look, this one should have some info, He said, as he gave me a book with the name Encyclopedia of the World and another book named Yggdrasils Birth. I quickly opened the Yggdrasils Birth Book, which seemed to be something similar to a Bible for this world. It spoke about the gods, religion, and a lot of tales regarding them, alongside the presumed origin of the world Encyclopedia of the World spoke about the known world, the continents, countries, and even endemic life, tribes, and races And to resume the first book this world is named Yggdrasil. Yeah, very original. The book says something about the world being born from the seed of another tree, which they named Cosmic Tree of Life. After that fruit was released into the universe to rot, a seed was left behind, and the plant grew from the rotten fruit, fusing with it and absorbing its nutrients. It is said that the Gods came into motion after they looked at the enormous tree and decided to use it as part of their world. Taking care of it, they eventually used it as the pillar of their world. This World. There are approximately 86 gods, or more. Yikes. All these gods represent an element of nature or even an aspect of humanity too. All of them combined their efforts and built this world using the tree as the pillar for all of it. Several continents were created, and many moons as well Wait, even the sun?! ----- PancakesWitch The World, Dungeons, And… Revenge ----- Aside from the very confusing beginning of everything, which is spread through the religion of the 86 Gods, there was also the explanation of things such as Dungeons and Monsters. Apparently, Dungeons were made by the God of Chaos, who is named Loki Yes, like the Norse Trickster god. He made them a trial for all of humanity which also allowed them to grow stronger. Although it also takes the life of innocents with the monsters these places produce However, according to Lucifer, his dungeon emerged naturally So I guess Loki made them possible, but they can also grow naturally through tons of miasma Confusing, I dont know what to think about this. Maybe Loki really just looked over Lucifer and said, what a nice ingredient for a dungeon! and made it into a dungeon Anyways, aside from this confusing lore, which I prefer to discover slowly instead of info-dumping myself with stuff that wont be even important for 60% of the story, I decided to look up more important things, such as the regions and continents. There were several continents, all of them represented a Realm of Norse Mythology, it seems, such as Muspelheim, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Alfheim But currently, we were at Midgard, the Realm or the continent dominated predominantly by humans! However, the races of the other continents had spread over the millions of years all across the other continents, so you can find elves, dwarves, and even beast-kin people making up to around 15-25% of the population per Duchy. However, due to being a minority, they are obviously discriminated against in some parts Haha, and here we go with the classic cliches, such as slavery, wars, and more Well, not like I care about it, so lets jump it. We are in the vast continent of Midgard. I dont know how vast it is, I cant calculate, but I would assume it could be as big as the entire Europe and Africa continents combined, or maybe all of North and South America? Well, there are way too many Kingdoms, with some tyrannical Empires and even some seclusive Clans. There is a variety of everything around here, and we are currently in the territory of the Kingdom of Albraun, made up of various Duchies spread across the vast grasslands and forests. This Duchy over here is the small Duchy of Affnaria, governed by the 6th son of the King, Allen Albraun. There was a book with him. His face was very familiar. He looked like the guy at my side when they cut off my head He was the one celebrating my death! Hmmm What should I do? Should I go and kill him? Nah I am not such a monster! Wait, I am. Though, if possible, I would really like to know more about the whole context But hes definitely getting killed. Call me a psycho, an insane woman, or whatever. I dont care. If someone actually celebrates my fucking death, no matter the context, I am going to kill them. I explained this to my partners, and they nodded. Partner only understood the part where I wanted to kill someone, while Lucifer was the one that understood things better. I see So you were executed here? He asked. Apparently, according to the latest history book, my death was registered several years ago. From what I read, I was a witch who had some kind of power that brought misfortune to others, and due to that, I was always escaping from town to town, only becoming more hated over the years. I muttered. T-Thats And the worst part is that it seems that it was true, my Title Skill named Bringer of Misfortune does exactly that It was gifted to me by the lovely Goddess of the Underworld, I said. O-Oh W-Well, thats tragic. Lucifer stuttered. Not really for me. I dont remember anything of when I was alive, so I feel very detached from everything, to be honest The only thing I remember is that guy celebrating my death, which makes me pretty angry. You would never tolerate someone celebrating your death, right? Certainly So You want to kill him? I am all for it. Lets wreck him. Lucifer said. Uwah, what a supportive friend! I do plan to, but I want to extract info from him too Do you think he could talk without him freaking out? I just killed a guy recently by just scaring him to death, so I am a tad bit worried, Eh? You did that?! Well I guess I could teach you some spells. Your amazing use of magic should really let you do more than what youre limiting yourself to. Your attributes are also quite normal but strong. Death and Darkness go well hand in hand Lets see, how about you conjure the [Erase Presence] Spell? I had a friend long ago, a Death Witch who had such a spell, it erased her presence completely by quite literally killing it. Lucifer explained. T-Thats sounds weird But lets see Death Attribute, right? I asked. Yes, do it as you can. I am sure youll make it far. Your ability over magic surpasses every genius Ive ever met in my long life. Said Lucifer. Lets see Can you tell me more about it? And who was she? I asked. Well As it erases things like bloodthirst, animosity, and heroic presence, it makes the targets presence completely imperceptible. Those casting this skill likely appear as dreams or ghosts that can be seen during the day the woman that used them was a powerful Majin of Death Magic. She was also able to summon her Undead army anywhereI wonder how she''s doing. She used this to sneak around entire armies undetected and assassinate enemy generals quite sneakily, Lucifer rants. Oooh! I like that, Yeah, but strong enough enemies were still able to find her, so she usually went around with her strongest Undead, which she customized using [Necromancy], Necromancy? Thats a Skill? Indeed- Oh? You made it already? Eh? I did? Ding! [Youve learned the [Erase Presence: Lv1] Skill!] ----- PancakesWitch Surprise! ----- Damn, I guess I am amazingly talented at Magic, all thanks to my awesome cheat [Supreme Magic]! I only had to die buried by books and filled with sorrow and regrets to get it How easy! Whats the difference between [Stealth] and [Erase Presence]? Isnt the latter a better version? I asked. Not really. [Erase Presence] erases your presence, the presence you emanate naturally, such as bloodthirst, intimidation, and heroic will, but it doesnt let you stealthily move around, nor does it let you become more proficient at hiding. I suppose both Skills are connected, and if you could get [Camouflage] as well, you could make a killer combination, but they are different enough to be different Skills. So? Did my presence go away? I asked. Indeed, the Abyssal Darkness within you that even made me a bit wary has almost completely disappeared. It was very strong. Said Lucifer. O-Oh Maybe Abyssal Body had to do with it. I said. Abyssal Body? Wait, so youre not a Darkness Ghost? asked Lucifer. Haha No I am an Abyssal Ghost Queen! I confessed. WHAT?! I have never I thought incredibly powerful Necromancers could only summon those things To think that a Ghost could naturally evolve into one! Youre certainly quite a handful, Lucifer says. Am I? Anyways, now that we are done here Lets just go, How will you make him talk? With intimidation! I replied. Hmm Well see how that goes, Lucifer sighed. Hmm And whats with that thing? Cant it stop glaring at me like that?! Lucifer shouted, pointing at Partner. Partner was currently hugging my mildly materialized ghost body as I sat down on a log. She was glaring at Lucifer with squinting eyes, acting very jealous. But I couldnt help but feel flattered by her overprotectiveness. Hehe, she really loves me! Isnt it cute? I feel like a mother now. I said. I-I think she sees you as more than just that. Lucifer says. Come on, Partner, relax. Lucifer is your ally! Treat him more fairly, alright? I dont wanna! Partner shouts while crossing her arms. Sweetie, why are you acting like this? I sighed. I want Master and Kuro only! Eh? A-Am I that much of a nuisance?! Lucifer cried out. He was getting emotional. I want master all for myself! Partner says, pouting cutely. Aww I hugged and petted her head. Dont worry. I am all for you! I said. Really? She asked. Sure! Then it''s ok, Partner calms down a bit. I-I think you misunderstood what she meant. Sighed Lucifer. Anyways, after this little incident happened, Partner became more accepting of Lucifer. Maybe she wanted me to be only her mommy Shes so cute I dont even see Lucifer as a son candidate, so she shouldnt worry! Alright, you guys can stay here. I will summon you whenever I get to the place, I said. Good luck, Lucifer replies. We waited for night to fall again the next day as Partner, Lucifer, and Kuro ate Hydra meat for lunch. I tried eating, but the meat fell to the ground after I munched it *Sigh* I sneaked around with my new and amazing Skill, [Erase Presence]! I also merged it with [Stealth] and then [Shadow Sneak], so no one could detect me anymore! Sneaky, sneaky I am here! I knew it. The biggest building in the entire duchy was the Dukes home so obvious. I sneaked inside the building and flew around, some lights were illuminating the room, and the entire place had mildly okay guards, but nothing a few Dark Spheres couldnt handle Well, I didnt kill them any anyways as this was a stealth mission! I looked for this little and big-nosed man around the building until I found him on the last floor, sitting in front of a giant desk stacked with paperwork. He looked stressed. Ugh So much paperwork. He groaned. Damn, he already looks like hes getting punished well enough Agh, at the very least, I need to know the full story. I confronted him as I provoked the light bulbs to burst. BOOM! I expanded my shadows into the entire room and created what I call a shadow domain. It was completely soundproof from the outside world, so it was a fitting title. EH?! W-Whats going on?! Allen cried out in surprise. Hello there! Do you recognize this face? I asked, materializing from the darkness into the shape of my human form, although I was still rather translucent and pale. [Erase Presence] helped him not die out of horror. GRYYEEGH! G-G-GHOST! Cried the man. Yeah, I am a ghost now. Do you remember this face, Duke? The Witch of Misfortune? I asked. Eeeh?! Allen was breathing heavily; I think he might succumb to a seizure at any moment now. He opened his mouth wide as he realized who I was M-Maria Fuentes Belles! T-The Dark Witch?! Youre back! N-No It cant be! Your soul has become a ghost?! And so powerful! Such strength it could even destroy the entire city! Allen cried out with pure fear. Yeah, long story short, stuff happened. Anyways, I wanted to ask you a few little things Come out, guys, I summoned my party just in case and placed them around me. Allen was also just as shocked, especially by Lucifer''s power. T-This What is that?! A Majin?! he asked. I am a Fallen Dragon, thank you very much, Lucifer replied. Kill? Partner asked. Not yet I approached Allen as I touched his chin with the tip of my black nail. Now, you sly-faced bastard, tell me a few things Why was I killed? And who was I? Tell me everything and I might consider forgiving your life! And even more giving you a little gift, I said. A-A little gift?! Well, if you tell me honestly, Y-Yes! I dont know why you dont remember your past, but You were known as the Dark Witch. Wherever you went, you spread misfortune everywhere Although most of it ended being plots made by aristocrats and enemies of your family I-I myself ended colluding with them, and with their help, we apprehended you and used your death as a way to take ahold of the masses I-I had no other option! If I didnt cooperate, they would have targeted my family and me! ----- PancakesWitch Here’s Your Gift! ----- Allen looked at me while trembling in fear before answering me thoroughly. I dont know why you dont remember your past, but You were known as the Dark Witch. Wherever you went, you spread misfortune everywhere Although most of it ended being plots made by aristocrats and enemies of your family I-I myself ended colluding with them, and with their help, we apprehended you and used your death as a way to take ahold of the masses I-I had no other option! If I didnt cooperate, they would have targeted my family and me! So it was like that! My death was orchestrated as a way to gain a grasp over the population of this rotten place? Are those aristocrats of this Duchy? T-There are some. Allen said. And who was the one that pulled the trigger for the guillotine? I asked. T-That was a random soldier He was paid to do it. Ugh, what a pain, now I have to look for this random guy Well, Im fine with just killing those behind this. Who are all the aristocrats involved in this? Answer thoroughly, or youll become the food for my cat! I said as Kuro roared like a fierce panther. GROAR! Gyyeeehh! O-Okay! Ill tell you! Just dont kill me! Allen was a very detailed and helpful man. He even wrote down an entire list of all those involved in it, where they lived, the name of their families, and even what they worked in! Such a nice man, honestly! He gave me the papers, and I saved them in my Inventory. I also stole all the money he had, which were a lot of gold coins, alongside his books and a lot of other things I took a liking to. The man was becoming more and more nervous as he saw how I was throwing everything inside my inventory. Y-You Have you mastered spatial magic?! Allen asked. Erm Yeah! I responded. And after we were done Now, youve been such a nice boy I guess I should forgive your life, I said. Hahh T-Thank you Allen sighed in relief. I had decided not to kill him, so we slowly walked away. Joking! GYEEH?! We stopped moving as Lucifer moved at an incredible speed, grasping the mans neck. He had no way to counter such a powerful servant as Lucifer, and even as he tried to fight back by throwing a water bullet SPLASH! But that only wet Lucifers clothes. I guess he wasnt good at magic. Lucifer lifted him off the floor, glaring at him with eyes filled to the brim with scorn. I have a grudge with you humans, specifically you, the descendants of those that lived here Your ancestors took our young and even the Demon Kings daughter. You filthy and dishonorable race of monkeys! I have nothing but scorn against you humans He confessed. Geehggh! W-What are you talking abouttt?! Allen cried out. Eh? What happened? I asked to Lucifer, I wanted to know more. However, Lucifer fell silent, as he didnt answer. I guess he doesnt want to tell me. Alright, kill him, I said. He smiled maliciously before his face suddenly began to shapeshift into the monstrous jaws of a dragon. Allen glanced at the abyssal maws of Lucifer filling his being with fear. W-Wait! WAAAAIIITTT! I will feast on your flesh and blood! Laughed Lucifer as he ate the entire Duke in a single bite. CRUNCH! GRYYEEREGGEGHHH! His last agonizing cry was heard inside of Lucifers jaws as he used his sharp teeth to triturate his entire body while he was alive. After a few bites, he crushed him into minced meat and swallowed it all Afterward, he turned back to his humanoid form. Ugh, such a disgusting taste, He muttered. Well, that was something! I was planning on killing him myself, but I guess you had more joy out of it, I said. Indeed It did feel good. Now, what shall we do? Do you want to go on a hunt? asked Lucifer, cleaning the blood off his lips. He looked sexy; I have to admit it. I saw the Dukes soul wandering in the room though, he seemed horrified and traumatized by his death. However, he couldnt speak as he seemed to have become something akin to a zombie. Heres his soul. Want to eat it? I asked. No, eating a soul is a taboo- EH?! I grabbed the Dukes soul and slurped it like a noodle. GGYYAAAGH! And he was gone! Taboo? I asked. Ding! [You have learned the [Soul Eater: Lv1] Skill] [You have acquired the [Taboo Mark: Lv--] Title Skill] Never mind, I guess such beliefs dont apply to monsters, Lucifer said. Ding! [Youve gained 1500 EXP!] [EXP: [2656/2600] [Your level has increased from level 17 to level 18!] Eh? I even got EXP and two Skills from eating this bastard? Nice, a double prize! And ugh. I think I got his memories. So annoying I moved them away and archived them as folders into my mind, so they wouldnt influence me. And done! He gave me an awful lot of EXP. I think I got it from when Lucifer killed him, plus eating his soul, so I guess you can get double EXP if you destroy the soul of your enemy as well as his body Interesting. [Soul Eater] seems to be a spell of the Death Magic category. It helps me eat souls and assimilate their components into my own, including powers or even memories. Of course, he was so talentless that I didnt get many stats out of him, but the EXP was nice I even leveled up, after all. Well, I am ready for it. The night is still quite young. Lets go in a hunt! I shouted. Hmph, very well. Hunt! Hunt! Partner chanted. Mrao! After that, I decided to make some Spells that could help me carry them around with me aside from [Summon]. But I realized that my [Shadow Manipulation] could hold things inside, although it wasnt as organized and endless as my Inventory And then, with my cheat Supreme Magic! Ding! [Youve learned the [Shadow Storage: Lv1] Skill] Hehehe! Hop in! Everyone jumped into my shadow before I carried them around while I moved in the darkness of the night using [Shadow Sneak]. ---- PancakesWitch Mixed Feelings ----- I looked at the sunrise from the horizon. It had been around five hours since we finished our work in town. We spent the five hours after killing Allen hunting down the three Aristocrats that conspired with him into this whole ordeal. We found out a lot about the schemes they had with my family, and it seemed that they were the holders of a special treasure and tons of money, so they wanted to fuck them over and bring them to ruin, which started with taking my life. Maria, well, my past self, which I dont remember, actually was a happy-go-lucky Adventure girl. She wasnt bad, nor was her reputation either. She was also heroic and charismatic, going around town to town after defeating monsters and diving into dungeons with other Adventurers. She had even become a D-Rank Adventurer and was soon raised into a C-Rank Adventurer. But everything went downhill when one of her party members died in an accident, and another party member blamed Maria for her curse, something only a few knew about as she was born with it. The guy that blamed her seemed to have been a close aristocrat kid of her childhood To think that due to him, her death would be orchestrated till the very end. It just feels so bitter knowing I cannot even remember my past. Yet, I am also relieved I dont remember it, or I wouldnt really be the same as I am now. So many tragedies Its been years since I died, and my family was caught in the aristocrats'' plans and walked right into their hands My family was assimilated into them, and they got their hands on my familys enormous wealth and treasure which was said to be something left by the Dark God, a Fragment of Evil which was sealed long ago by Heroes. Apparently, my family are descendants of heroes Sheesh. The last thing they knew about my parents is that both died in an accident while traveling to another duchy. A group of bandits assaulted them and killed them. The corpse of my mother was found violated and disfigured with punches and kicks all over her body. My father had his limbs cut off and was burned alive. Even though I dont remember them, I cant help but feel a wave of unquenchable wrath. Rotten Lucifer was right! All these bastards Humans are the worst! No. I cant generalize There is always good and bad people in the world. Although this is not Earth, I am sure that this still applies. Well, there are other things I can think about to calm myself. Such as it seems that I have a young brother. I dont know where he is. The last thing they knew about him was that his aunt had taken him and moved to another duchy My brothers name was Arthur Belle. I will find him. I have to. I feel responsible for the past Maria, so I have to do this for her. I cannot let this boy die I hope hes okay Ugh. Oh right, the Fragment of Evil was moved towards the capital of the Kingdom, so if I want to get back the treasure of my family that our ancestors left for us to guard, I will have to wage war against the whole nation. Fine by me. And there was someone else. A guy. The guy that cried for me when I was executed. He wasnt my brother, by the way. Apparently, he was my closest childhood friend, Jonathan Albraun, who was coincidentally the stepbrother of Allen. His whereabouts are unknown, but it was said that he mourned my death every day and came to visit my grave regularly He used to be a bright man, but after my death, he changed. He disappeared two years ago; some had said he went to find a way to revive me. This whole scheme against my family was bigger than I thought. It didnt simply involve a group of aristocrats. It even involved the King and the royal family. All for this damn Fragment of Evil You damn bastards I am going to burn this Kingdom to the ground, I muttered. Lucifer looked at me expressionlessly. Hmph, so youve decided, Indeed Burn! Lets burn it all! Partner cries out. Agh Lets calm down for now. We had already run away from the Duchy and were resting far away, in a very open forest, sitting on a log. Lucifer, Partner, and Kuro were enjoying roasted Wild Boar, an E-Rank monster we hunted just now. I gained EXP from slaughtering the other two Aristocrats and eating their souls as well. I also killed their guards because, on one occasion, they spotted me. But with that and the boar, I had maxed out my level cap again. Also, there were some confusing things about the System that I didnt know about. Apparently, you keep your level sometimes after evolving, if the evolution is not strong enough, and other times it goes back to 1. Kuros level went back to 1 after evolving, while Partner had kept her level 10. Now, she was also maxed too and she was about to evolve as well. Uegh I feel all bitter and gloomy now, fitting of a ghost *SIGH* Youre still sad? asked Lucifer. Dont be sad! Partner said. I-I am fine I just Ugh, it is not nice to know so much horrible stuff right away, I muttered. Hm I understand how you feel. Ive lost everything as well But now, this is a new beginning. We have to strive forward, survive, and avenge the fallen I am sure that if their souls were intact, that they must have been cleansed of their memories and reincarnated through the wheel of reincarnation Let us pray for their second lives to be better than their previous ones, Lucifer tried to comfort me. Pray? We all follow a god or pray to them in this world. Praying to Hel, the Goddess of Death, is often a good way to ask for the souls of the fallen to have better reincarnations, I see I hope they can be okay wherever they are. I am sure they will! Partner shouted before hugging me. Aww Partner, youre so sweet! Not like that grumpy dragon that doesnt hug me! W-Why would I hug you?! Lucifer shouted. ----- PancakesWitch Partner’s New Evolution Is 10/10! ----- Partner was rubbing on me cutely. Her lovely and cold embrace calmed my agitated non-existent heart. Phew Thank you, sweetheart. I think I feel a bit better now. Better? Im glad! Partner suddenly rubbed her nose with my own. Fweh? This is so cute! Partner, youre way too precious! I hugged her back as Lucifer looked at us with a tired expression. Whats wrong? Feel excluded? Fueheh I-I am fine by my own! said Lucifer while crossing his arms. Come here, grumpy dragon! I rushed over to him and hugged him. He seemed angry as he pouted at me. But he was getting embarrassed and as red as a tomato, which was even funnier because of how pale his skin originally was. S-Stop! I dont require any affection! I am an Undead. WE are Undead! Dont you understand? W-We are beings born from death! We must embrace the darkness and- Uagh! I began to rub his beautiful black horns; they were very hard, and I could feel like they could make an excellent crafting material. S-Stop touching my horns! He cried. I am your master, so I can do whatever I please! I laughed. Ungh! Lucifers lips trembled cutely as he looked at the floor, embarrassed. Partner got jealous, though Gggrrr She began to show off her sharp fangs at Lucifer. Stop looking at me like that! S-Seriously, what kind of fate worse than death is this? Ugh, I should have just asked you to kill me. Lucifer sighed. Oh, these pointy ears are pretty cute too! I began to touch his cute elf-like pointy ears. They were soft and cold as ice. T-This is sexual harassment! He cried out. Fuehehe Theres no law for the dead! After teasing the prideful dragon for a bit, I decided to evolve. Well, Partner evolved first. Evolve! Partner raised her arms upwards, and as soon as she shouted, phantasmal energies gathered around her as her body was upgraded. FLAAAASSSHHH! Her skin turned less dry and gained a bit more youthfulness, her hair was also less dry, and her eyes shone with crimson-red light. Her aura emanated something off, though, as if she was imbued with darkness and evilness. Her skin was made pale white, and I could now see her eyes better beneath her messy black hair. I have evolved! She cried out, with a more articulated way of speaking. She had clearly grown stronger! T-This cant be! D-Rank already?! And is that Ah! Ive never seen one of them evolve naturally And you said she used to be a skeleton? What are the odds?! Lucifer pondered out loud due to his disbelief, though I didnt know what he was even talking about. I checked her status on my own. [Name: [Partner] [Race: [Dark Dhampir Knightess] [Level: [1/30] [Rank: [D+] [Status: [Strengthened] [HP: [530/530] [MP: [230/230] [Attack: [480] [Defense: [350] [Magic: [105] [Agility: [280] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Blood Element: Lv--] [Dhampir: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv4] [Black Steel Bones: Lv6] [Morphed Body: Lv4] [Self-Regeneration: Lv4] [Flesh Consumption: Lv4] [Bloodsucking: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv5] [Magical Damage Resistance: Lv4] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv5] [Bone Claw: Lv6] [Intimidation: Lv5] [Spear Thrust: Lv5] [Triple Thrust: Lv3] [Dark Bullet: Lv2] [Dark Spear Thrust: Lv3] [Steady Fighter: Lv4] [Spear Mastery: Lv1] [Armor Mastery: Lv1] [Acrobatics: Lv1] [Phantasmal Hand: Lv1] [Bloodwork: Lv1] [Blood Arts: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] [Death Knight: Lv--] [Blood Race: Lv--] When I checked her stats, I was left a bit speechless. I can see why Lucifer would grow scared; she had gotten stronger than him! Well, after he leveled up, he got a ton of stats, so they are almost even, but shes still stronger. Her stats had increased by quite a lot, and she got an enormous quantity of new Skills too! Her race also changed into a Dark Dhampir Knightess! What?! Blood I crave blood! Partner moved towards me and bit me in the neck, but no blood came out. Partner, I dont have blood. Oohh Sniff Damn, she really wanted to drink my blood. Anyways, it seems that she had stepped into a lower race of the evolution tree that god damn Vampires have, for some reason. I dont know how she really did it, but she did it. Maybe being my subordinate really expanded her evolution options, and she chose the strongest, which was her current form. I asked her about this too, as she was now able to talk more eloquently. When I was a skeleton I think there were more options Like Big skeleton But I chose the other so I could have flesh And this evolution it was the strongest, She explained to me. So thats why! It seems that Dhampirs have their weaknesses as Vampires lessened because she clearly does not have such weaknesses. She can also control blood, and her Spear Technique had become quite powerful. And, of course, she got cuter. So overall 10/10. ----- PancakesWitch A New And Frightening Evolution! ----- After Partners evolution, I looked at my own stats before my own evolution [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Abyssal Ghost Queen] [Level: [12/20] -> [20/20] [EXP: [--/--] [Rank: [D] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [160/160 -> 380/380] [MP: [860/860 -> 1470/1470]{+520} [Attack: [86 -> 174]{+100} [Defense: [82 -> 157] [Magic: [770 -> 1370]{+317} [Agility: [160 -> 450]{+125} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv3] [Shadow Sneak: Lv4] [Abyssal Body: Lv1] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv4] [Darkness Resistance: Lv3] [Fear Resistance: Lv3] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv5] [Lesser Curse: Lv5] [Life Drain: Lv5] [Possession: Lv4] [Dark Sphere: Lv6] [Dark Gale: Lv5] [Shadow Spear Arrow: Lv1] [Shadow Manipulation: Lv1] [Shadow Storage: Lv1] [Undead Healing: Lv1] [Fake Life: Lv4] [Erase Presence: Lv1] [Soul Eater: Lv1] [Stealth: Lv5] [Summon: Lv1] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Dungeon Conqueror: Lv--] [Big Game Slayer: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv3] [Undead Queen: Lv 1] [Taboo Mark: Lv--] Divine Protections: [Hels Divine Protection] Hmm, I look pretty fine as I am now. Lets see how more amazing I can get by evolving now! [Evolution Options] [Abyssal Shadow Ghost Queen] [Abyssal Phantom Ghost Queen] [Pandora] Hm? There are two clear upgrades to my current evolution, and then Just Pandora. Alright What the hell is Pandora, and why is the name so simple compared to the other two? [Pandora] A never seen before Astral-type Undead monster that is only spoken in ancient myths and legends of the Majin Race. It is said that these phantasmal creatures bring calamity, famine, and death wherever they go, and their existences are like Pandoras box that unleashes all evil into the world. Only on incredibly rare occasions, an Abyssal Ghost Queen will be able to undergo evolution into this race. And whoever it is, it will most likely change the world as it is Wow. Reading the other evolutionary descriptions, I realized they dont sound as awesome. Alright! I have decided. Ding! [Youve selected the [Pandora] Evolution Option!] FLAAAAAASH! An explosion of phantasmal power crawled up my body, consuming me and engulfing me in complete darkness. My entire body exuded this darkness as more of it came out endlessly. *Creeaak!* Suddenly, I heard as if a very creaky door opened inside of my soul, and a large amount of black clouds filled with poison were released from me, fusing back into my soul and upgrading it even more What the heck is going on now?! Lucifer was so scared he moved away a bit. Master! Big! Big! Partner began to raise her arms while looking at me. POOF! The evolution ended with a loud explosion of black smoke releasing everywhere. This smoke was poisonous and killed all the plants and tiny creatures that lived in the vicinity. Oh boy! I evolved already. Ding! [Youve evolved into [Pandora]!] [All your stats have increased!] [You learned the [Aura of Famine: Lv1], [Disease and Poison Creation: Lv1], [Pandoras Box: Lv1], [Materialization: Lv1] and [Elemental Resistance: Lv1] Skills!] [You acquired the [Evil of the World: Lv1] Title Skill!] Evil of the World?! Seriously? I am that unique? I was just reborn as a ghost like half a week ago. W-What have you become? asked Lucifer. Pandora, I said. Pandora? I-Impossible! THAT Pandora?! From the Majins tales?! It was real? Lucifer shouted, shocked by my single word. I am real, so yeah, I said. Incredible Fueheh, youre finally admiring my greatness? I asked. W-Well Maybe Dont worry. I am a very humble Pandora! Ah? I suddenly realized that I got a lot of new Skills Lets see them in my status first! [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Pandora] [Level: [0/40] [EXP: [0/4000] [Rank: [C+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [380/380 -> 420/420] [MP: [1470/1470 -> 3200/3200]{+520} [Attack: [174 -> 200]{+100} [Defense: [157 -> 180] [Magic: [1370 -> 2800]{+317} [Agility: [450 -> 650]{+125} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv5] [Shadow Sneak: Lv6] [Abyssal Body: Lv3] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv6] [Darkness Resistance: Lv5] [Fear Resistance: Lv4] [Elemental Resistance: Lv1] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv6] [Lesser Curse: Lv6] [Life Drain: Lv6] [Possession: Lv5] [Dark Sphere: Lv7] [Dark Gale: Lv6] [Shadow Spear Arrow: Lv2] [Shadow Manipulation: Lv2] [Shadow Storage: Lv2] [Undead Healing: Lv2] [Fake Life: Lv5] [Erase Presence: Lv2] [Soul Eater: Lv2] [Stealth: Lv6] [Summon: Lv2] [Aura of Famine: Lv1] [Disease and Poison Creation: Lv1] [Pandoras Box: Lv1] [Materialization: Lv1] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Dungeon Conqueror: Lv--] [Big Game Slayer: Lv--] [Taboo Mark: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv4] [Undead Queen: Lv3] [Evil of the World: Lv1] Divine Protections: [Hels Divine Protection] Ooh! I am even more incredible now A-And even more of a glass cannon Well, my strength increased a tiny bit alongside my defense and HP, yaay! The real monster is here. And the reason why I am C+ Rank is most likely my Mana and Magic stats. Theyre completely through the roof, all thanks to Supreme Magic! But I should have asked for a Supreme All Rounder instead. I am beginning to regret not having asked for more. And then theres also the Goddess Unique Skill which I have no clue when it will be unlocked Anyways, the new Skills were interesting. [Aura of Famine: Lv1] Generate an Aura of Famine that automatically drains Life out of any being around you. Can be fused with [Life Drain] for a greater and wider range of effect. Power depends on skill level and Magic Stat. [Disease and Poison Creation: Lv1] Grants the ability to create poison and diseases using your power over Death. The power is dependent on skill level, Magic Stat, and the resistances of the targets. [Pandoras Box: Lv1] Open the Box of Pandora and unleash complete and utter chaos through an explosion of poison, darkness, chaos, and abyssal shadows. A powerful Area of Effect Magic Attack that generates an Aura of Evil around you, provoking madness and confusion to those around you. [Materialization: Lv1] Materialize your own phantasmal body into a physical one through the constant expenditure of Mana. Depending on the Magic stat and the skill level, the realism of your materialized body increases. [Elemental Resistance: Lv1] Grants resistance to all elemental damage, enhancing your defense with elemental attacks by 10% with each level. [Evil of the World: Lv1] You are the incarnation of all evil in this world. Youre naturally talented in bringing disasters wherever you travel to, and your development is significantly enhanced with each level. I see So I can materialize! Ah, and I guess I will bring disasters Not like I care anymore, hahaha! I am a ghost now, so why would I care? Now [Materialization]! FLASH! My phantasmal body suddenly got even more real than my previous way of materializing. Legs finally came out as my pale-white skin surged amidst my abyssal soul. My eyes were crimson red, and my hair was long and silvery-white Damn, I am quite pretty compared to my previous life Y-You materialized? Lucifer stuttered. ----- PancakesWitch What Do You Mean Making A List With The Names Of Those I Want To Kill Is Weird? ----- Fufu, bear witness to my beauty, dragon! I materialized in front of my companions as Lucifer exclaimed in surprise. Such a realistic materialization, your phantom has truly become like flesh with your appearance, you resemble an albino woman, or perhaps a Vampire?! Oh? Is that so? How about my beauty? Do you feel like you want to fall to your knees and praise my beauty? I teased him. Will you stop already? He sighed while facepalming. Partner, on the other hand, had her eyes shining brightly. Wow! Master, so pretty! Mrao! She and Kuro recognized my beauty, of course! Not like that tsundere dragon. Okay, maybe it wouldnt be good to be so arrogantu But I definitely look like a beauty! Compared to my previous life, which looked like an ugly and nerdy girl I really do look super-hot now Cant a girl be happy and prideful of her dazzling beauty? Well, more like abyssal beauty, though, darkness continues to overflow from my body even as I materialized. Being a Pandora really gives you a different vibe. My body naturally wraps a black and red dress around my body. It is also the materialization of my own Phantom. It seems that I can produce basic clothes with it and change them around whenever I want. I ended up deciding on some sharp black heels to kick someone with one of these days. I also made them as hard as possible. And done! I look quite lovely. It feels as if I was creating an avatar for an online game, but this is real life, I guess. Once again, I am really quite pretty Master, cute! Partner hugged me as she called me cute and rubbed her nose on mine. My materialization also helps me feel things more now as if I really had skin! Her cold body really is quite soft after she evolved EH?! Soft! Partner began to squeeze my materialized breasts, which I had made quite big for some unknown reason. *cough* (Totally not because I was very flat in my previous life) *cough*, I muttered under my breath. Suddenly she squeezed a bit harder, making me jump. P-Partner, dont do that! Its kind of weird. Weird? You can also touch me! Partner exclaimed. Ooohh This might prove to be an exciting experience I moved my hands to Partners breasts and gave them a little squeeze. They are indeed quite soft! Will you two perverts get a room?! Lucifer spoils the fun as he calls us perverts. We are not perverts! We are just experimenting with our bodies. It is totally normal, I refuted. Partner nodded intensively while crossing her arms. Normal! Mraoo Kuro seemed disappointed in us. Howugh *sigh*... Anyways, now that we are done with this, we should really get going to the next place. We already killed three of your targets here, how many are left? Lucifer asked. My targets were all the aristocrats involved in my death and the death of my parents. I had already killed three of them here, Duke Allen and two other fatties named Norman Allsand and Getto Allwater. Very wacky names, I know. There are over ten other Aristocrats left for me to kill, and I will thoroughly go for them one by one. They live in different duchies around the Kingdom, but we can go on a zigzag road up until we reach the capital. If they are in their duchies, it shouldnt be hard to kill them. Royalty and aristocrats are often spoiled and rich, so they dont go to kill monsters, nor develop their abilities or level up like Humans do, who even have a Job System instead of an Evolution System, which is pretty different from monsters. Humans can get pretty strong, pretty fast with this Job power they have, but these aristocrats just waste their bloodlines potential by being lazy and doing absolutely nothing. Although I am sure that it should be fairly different for their kids. Perhaps their kids had grown stronger, or there might be other royalty members specializing in training and battling, but aristocrats are often weak pigs. And this was proven further when I killed three in the span of a single night. Nonetheless, aside from the Duchy of Affnaria, there are several other Duchies in the Kingdom of Albraun. We will get through four more Duchies before arriving in the Capital, where the King and his children are, grasping the treasure of my family in their sweaty palms. Anyways, I am so thankful that I wrote down everybody I needed to kill. Take a look: Duke Allen Albraun (DEAD), Norman Allsand (DEAD), Getto Allwater (DEAD) Duke Roberto Albraun, Edward Allfire, Ernesto Watertide Duke Hansel Albraun, Ellon Asshat, Edgard Tactile Duke Gastron Albraun, Alberto Nosotros, Tear Rubiera Duke Netheron Albraun, Hamill Firehand, Camillo Desperados Every Duchy has one of the sons or grandsons of the King. Usually, theyre closer to princes, so I actually just ate the soul of the prince of Albraun on Allen. Oops? Anyways, alongside the Dukes, there are usually two big shots who are the owners of Guilds, such as the Adventurer Guild or the Merchant Guild. The two pigs I killed were the owners of such places. The rest of their families were not to blame, so I hope they can handle things by themselves. Oh right, and to make it clear that they died, we left some of their bones, which Lucifer vomited after eating them, and their clothes. That should be enough evidence, so they dont go looking for them. Yeah, its disgusting, but it works, and it''s effective. Maybe I should just eat their souls next time and not let Lucifer eat them. He did say they were disgusting and tasted terrible. I dont want to let my dragon get sick by eating shit Anyways, according to the maps we got now, our next Duchy is the Duchy of Benettina, crossing to the south. All the other duchies are to their side in a zigzag road where trading merchants travel through with their caravans. There are some random villages around these places, alongside dungeons and particular areas filled with monsters named Haunts which means we can grind EXP on our journey. Onward to Benettina then! You didnt answer my question. Oh ----- PancakesWitch Hold Up! Is This The Typical Isekai Scenario?! ----- After explaining to Lucifer and everyone about my plan, they all seemed to agree with it. To Benettina we go then. And sure, it would be better if you just ate their souls so the dead body can be found more easily. I also would prefer to eat a more delicious human next time, perhaps something like a strong warrior. Said Lucifer. I dont like your tendencies of eating humans; did you eat humans when you were alive? I sighed. Well, I am technically a zombie now, so eating flesh from humans is a necessity, but I can also eat monster flesh as well. And well, it is more like a grudge. I feel this indescribable hatred against humans, which is very hard to contain. When I see one, I just want to tear them apart and devour them, hearing their screams of agony as my fangs tear their bodies into shreds while being alive, Oof. Okay, you do you, as long as it is not innocent people that literally did nothing wrong, I am fine with that, Hmph, alright youre my master, so I cannot defy you as much as I want to. Nonetheless, it is more pleasurable to torture those that had done evil deeds. After all, the corrupt aristocrats of this Kingdom and the alliance of Kingdoms of Humans were the ones that took our children as prisoners, forced us to surrender, and then slaughtered them in front of our very faces, Lucifer said. I see, I responded. Hahh Never mind me, Lucifer sighed. He seemed pretty troubled. And I kind of wanted him to open up to me but forcing the situation would be bad for his mental stability, so I will let him slowly open up to me naturally rather than just forcing him by giving him a command. I hope that we can find somewhere to be happy one day, I muttered. Youre oddly optimistic for someone that died so terribly. I suppose missing your memories perhaps has made you this way. Lucifer sighed once again. True I wont force you to tell me anything. You will decide when you want to share more of your past, R-Right Sorry, perhaps I went too far there And thank you for being understanding. Despite being an oddball, youre also quite a decent former human, Lucifer complimented me. Aw, really? Yes Masters pretty nice. Partner said beside me. So you, whats your story? Lucifer asked, talking to Partner. Story? I am masters servant, Partner replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. You dont remember your previous life? Previous life? Partner asked, confused. Well, you see, Partner is my skeleton. I made her into an Undead and her soul was created through the over-accumulation of phantasmal energy, and therefore it is a new soul and not one that belonged to someone before, I explained. Oh, so she was such a being Wait, your skeleton?! Lucifer asked in disbelief. Yeah! I didnt want to leave it abandoned. It was the only thing I had left, you know? So I just made it into a Partner! Youre really unbelievable sometimes, It was thanks to her that I was able to survive. Even now, I am still a glass cannon, and she unexpectedly ended up as my Tank, so we pair up pretty well. She takes hits and charges in front while I fire from afar! I said as Partner nodded in agreement. I-I see Whats glass cannon? Lucifer asked. A term you use for someone that exceeds offensively but is as frail as glass, Oh I see. I guess shes very devoted and childish because she still has the mind of a young spirit Interesting. Her existence is similar to a Wisp then, a being without a soul formed from phantasmal energy. However, unlike them, she wasnt made out of grudges and negative energy, Indeed, and shes a cutie! Wait, I think she looked like my body when I was alive now that I think about it. Partner looked at me upfront as I realized that she indeed looked exactly like the head I saw rolling when I reincarnated as a soul. Interesting, through her evolutions, it is as if you had been revived, but it is not really your soul This could cause some troubles if we come across someone that might know your face, so make sure to cover her with a hood, at least, Lucifer recommended. And what about you? You look like a Majin with those looks, Hold on Look, Lucifer suddenly changed appearance, his horns disappeared, and his eyes looked less dead, while his skin seemingly filled with the vitality of youth. Wow This is the power of Morph! Lucifer laughed. Eeehh I guess youre a shapeshifter Oh, can you take the form of a little dragon companion so I can summon you for battle like my monster pet? I asked. No I wouldnt want that. And no, I cannot take such a small form. Ugh I guess my dream of having a Charmander is gone, Hah you always talk so much nonsense. I suppose this trip wont be as boring as I initially thought, Lucifer muttered. Hey, finally getting softer with me? I asked. Never mind I guess he doesnt respond well to teasing The area that covers the entire Duchy of Affnaria is an enormous forest named the Dark Forest. Lesser Haunts and other monsters often inhabit it, but theyre mostly weak; Usually around G-Rank or F-Rank at most. Due to this, Adventurers in Affnaria go to train and level up their first Jobs in these outskirts of the Duchy, collecting the monsters corpses, the Mana Stones inside, and other things to sell in the Adventurer Guild. This forest took around three days to get out of, despite us going at fast speed on Kuros back When we reached the outskirts of the forest, we were greeted by a beautiful and near-endless sea of grass, named the Vast Grasslands, which extends across hundreds of kilometers. All the Duchies we are visiting are located past this point. From what I read, tribes of beast-kin and even demons live around these grasslands, often as nomads. Also, we had gone through the forest side because if we went through the road, we would risk getting caught by some passerby. The sun was shining brightly atop the sky, and we were being bathed in it, but none of us was affected. It seems that the sunlight is no problem! We cant hide so well in such a place. Lucifer muttered. Well go through the road then! The place looks nice. We can have a picnic from time to time too! I tried to bring up the bright side. Picnic? In the middle of the road? We walked through the road at a fast pace as Kuro was pretty nimble, and as an Undead, he was also tireless. Bathing in the warmth of the sun, a cold breeze brushed against my face. Aahh this feels nice. It makes you just want to forget about everything and just have an adventure Well, we are technically having one. Whats that? Lucifer suddenly points at a group of people in front of the road who were next to three large caravans being attacked by little green guys. Hoh, is this the typical Isekai scenario? -- PancakesWitch Wait, Are The Roles Reversed? ----- A typical Isekai scenario! You know, when Goblins try to take down a caravan with a merchant, and the heroic main character takes them down and becomes friends with a merchant by saving him, opening up the possibility of connections with aristocrats!? It is always so overused But will I get my chance now? I actually have no interest in making friends with a greedy merchant, but we might as well play along. At full speed, my steed! GROAR! Kuro releases a loud roar as he begins to rush down the road in the middle of the grasslands, the caravan right in front of us! Oi, are you kidding me? Youre going to help humans? Just let them die. I bet those Goblins are just hungry, Lucifer said. I wont listen to your seductive words, handsome dragon! I will go valiantly save these people and make connections with them! I said as I bravely leaped off of Kuro after we reached the area where shit was going down. Seriously Lucifer sighed. Partner followed right behind me, raising her spear. Fight! She shouted. As soon as we reached the caravan, we found a group of seven goblins, armed with rusty armor, some leather clothes (not loincloths, by the way), and using some weapons and shields, but Eh? They seemed to be struggling. I looked over at the humans and noticed there were five super buff guys. I checked their status, and they were all E-Rank adventurers, who are considerably above the average. Their equipment looked fresh as well, and they seemed to be overwhelming the weak goblins. They were also smiling! Haha! So they came for us! Come, well carve out your mana cores and sell them! The equipment theyre using could also fetch some coins, boss! J-Just kill them already! An old man that looked clearly like the merchant was trembling inside the caravan, and he was surrounded by cages? Inside the cages, there were many green-skinned people, and even some people with furry ears. Wait. Hold on. Whats going on in here? G-Give me back, my daughter! Cried a goblin, raising his blade against one of the humans. He clearly spoke the common tongue. CLASH! A measly G-Rank monster like you cant even kill a rat, and you think you stand a chance against us just because you got some equipment? Laughed one of the men before easily evading the goblins attack, kicking him in the stomach and throwing him away. Uggh! Papaaa! One of the tiny, green-skinned people caged inside cried for her father, the goblin that had just been beaten down into the ground. W-We wont give up until you give us back our families! Wheres my wife?! Another goblin valiantly rushed forward, as he used his blade to release a technique, but the human in front raised his shield, blocked him, and hit his face with the shield, sending him flying into the distance No way, this is not a normal Isekai, huh? Goblins that can talk and are enslaved theyre not trash mobs then? Theyre more like a demi-human tribe then. This Theyre enslaving goblins?! T-Those damn humans! Lucifer, however, suddenly gets angry and jumps into action before me. BOOM! He transforms into a giant five-meter tall, black-scaled dragon, and the humans and goblins alike are paralyzed in fear; his aura emanates a deadly presence that seems to be devouring their very souls Enslaving a hardworking and peaceful tribe I couldnt expect less from you filthy humans! It seems that Goblins are a tribe of Majin and are seen as hardworking and peaceful. Oh wow. A D-DRAGON?! All the humans were terrified, and the goblins suddenly dropped their weapons out of terror. Some even began falling unconscious. Alright! Let me aid you then. I dont like slavery anyways, I joined in with a very simple reason other than because I found the goblin girls very cute. And well, maybe I am a goodhearted person deep down within all the hatred and vengeance-driven emotions I possess that makes me a ghost. R-Run away! None of the humans tried to fight us back, so it was very easy to pick them up and kill them. Partner caught up to one of the men that was trying to protect himself with his shield, but Partners spear went straight through the shield with ease and impaled the mans head, killing him instantly. Hm? Weak She sighed. I rushed forward and used my shadows to grasp the big guy commanding the others. My shadows were used as tentacles as I violated his orifices mercilessly, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, and butt. He cried so agonizingly that I couldnt help but laugh manically over the pleasure that his suffering inflicted on me. Holy shit I am nuts. After that, I jumped over another as if I were a ninja and used [Possession] to possess his body, crushing his heart and lungs and killing him instantly. Wow, this is easy. Guuaaggh! In the other case, Lucifer used his jaws to just eat the other three and crunch them while still alive. Oh man, hearing them scream in agony really hits the spot. Maybe because I am such a malicious race of ghosts, hearing the screams of agony of the damned really makes me happy. It is almost instinctual! Gyyeeegh! P-Please dont kill us! The merchant cried in horror as he saw how we slaughtered his men. The only one left was this guy who was inside the caravan. Some of the goblins who remained awake looked at the scene with disbelief. I looked at one of them and gave him my hand, which he grasped and stood up. He looked like a typical goblin, long nose, bald, long ears, but instead of horrid goat-like eyes, they had human-like eyes, which clearly gave away their consciousness and self-awareness as people and not just a vicious race of monsters. We are here to help! I shouted with a smile. T-Thank you He replied while looking at my own aura of darkness. He must be quite terrified even now. You damn pig! I am going to feast on you! Lucifer grabbed the merchant and was about to eat him. W-Wait, stop! Cried the goblin. Eh? Why? Asked Lucifer. ----- PancakesWitch Damn, I’ve Become An Edgelord ----- The goblin guy stopped Lucifer. But, Lucifer didnt obeyed him, so I had to speak for him. Hey, wait, there must be a reason why he doesnt want this bastard killed! Lets listen to him! Lucifer sighed in unison with the merchant, who sighed in relief. What? Lucifer asked. I am sorry, sir Dragon Its just that the merchant is the one who has made the contracts with our families. If we kill him, all those slaves that belong to him will also die due to the contract imbued into their collars! T-These bastards manipulated us like this before. The Goblin explained. Hmm Cunning bastard, Said Lucifer, squinting his eyes at the trembling fat merchant. He placed him on the ground as the merchant nodded. T-Thats right, you filthy beasts! I-If you kill me, all your families will die with me! Hahaha! S-So you better not kill me! He shouted. How can we cancel the contract? I asked. There must be some papers inside his caravan. The contracts are written on a seal paper If we destroy them, we can free our people. The Goblin replied. What an intricate system. I guess Lucifer would have ended killing everyone inside by accident oops. I intimidated the pig into looking for the papers, but he didnt want unless we promised to not kill him afterward. What a pain. [Possession], I used my vast mana pool and possessed him. Right away, I got access to all of his mind through his brain and learned where his contracts were. Using his own body, I broke each paper until the very last one. When the contracts were broken, the collars deactivated and fell onto the ground. The monsters inside the cages were freed by the goblins right afterward. Papa! Gobina! Dear, I was so scared. Everything is going to be okay now. T-Thank you so much! How can we ever repay you for this? Asked one of the Goblins, who explained that he was the chief of the tribe. Hmm, how about you invite us to your tribe? O-Oh! For sure! B-But can Sir Lucifer go back to his humanoid form? The goblin asked, shaking timidly. Ah yes, if he goes like that, hell surely make a fuss. Oh, sometimes I forget to change back, Lucifer changed back and was now ready to walk like a person and not a giant winged lizard. And about the merchant? I decided to keep him alive. I was going to use him as a puppet of sorts to infiltrate into society and get info I cannot easily access Mostly out of just fun, though. I brainwashed him while possessing him, and he became my mindless servant. Of course, with a single order, hell go back to normal. But even then Are you guys okay with her keeping him alive? Asked Lucifer. Ah, well, it is fine. He has already paid. His eyes look like those of a dead fish, Said the chief. I brainwashed him after possessing him, so dont worry, hell be a submissive and good merchant from now on. I explained. I had already saved the caravan and everything inside of it in my Inventory. As we made our way down the road, we arrived near a large lake to the east. It was surrounded by a small forest where the Goblins had made their home. The tribe was very tribalistic. They had tents instead of proper houses and lived very simple lives of hunting and gathering to survive. They mostly got their food from the fish in the lake, but sometimes they told me they went to hunt Horned Rabbits or Big Boars, although it took many of them to beat a single boar. Also, every time they did it, they gained EXP, and sometimes they even leveled up. The Chief was the highest level at level 11, but that was it. Even a Level 11 G-Rank monster is still very weak I left the merchant inside of my [Shadow Storage] with some food and water and decided to forget about him for the moment. The beautiful goblin village was very simplistic, but there was undoubtedly a charm around this place. The people were very nice and welcoming with us too. The chief made a big feast in honor of the people they rescued. As the food was being cooked, he and his daughter began to explain to us what had happened with them. It happened around a week ago these groups of men raided our village suddenly, and using their strength, they beat us and killed five of our men. Afterward, they took away our women to sell as sex slaves This wasnt the first time that humans have tried to raid us, although the previous times we managed to change our villages position and fool them, but this time they were too fast and strong Since then, we had been following them until we finally managed to catch them off guard, but even then, they were too strong, The chief sighed. Oh damn you would have ended up dead if we hadnt arrived then I am glad we were able to help you out. Also, killing humans felt pretty good for some reason, I said. Damn, Ive become an edge lord. I see Damn humans, why do they love to pick on the weak so much? Your tribe is just living peacefully here with nature? Humans greedy nature simply sickens me to no end If our Demon lord was here, he would have taught them a lesson! Lucifer shouted in anger. Demon Lord It has been a long time since I heard that name Suddenly, an old goblin walked near us and sat down at my side. Oho, such a pretty lady. He said, rubbing his beard and looking at my figure. Elder! What are you doing awake? Go back to your bed. Youre still sick. The chief said. Geez, I do whatever I want! Roared the old man, using his staff to hit the head of the chief. It was a bit comical. Youve heard about the Demon Lord? Lucifer asked. Why yes, my grandfather used to be part of his army, though, I dont know how many years ago He used to tell me tales about his bravery and how he fought back against humanitys tyranny, The Goblin Elder began to explain. ----- PancakesWitch Visiting The Goblin Village ----- So after killing some assholes along the way, we rescued some Goblins and Beast-kin mixed into a carriage that were being carried away as slaves, and we ended up being invited into the comfortable Goblin Village. I am a ghost, so I dont really feel uncomfortable anywhere. Maybe I should if I were being bathed in sunlight while being a weak ghost, but as a Pandora, theres no such weakness. Due to that, I could stay anywhere, so I didnt particularly care about sitting on a log. I might even float if I wanted, but Partner didnt let me get away from her as she was very clingy. Lucifer had said something about his precious Demon Lord, and the Elder of the Goblin Village joined our conversation. After that, the Goblin Chief and his daughter were also present. After he glanced over my body with a perverted gaze, the old, green-skinned man pretended to ignore the death gaze that Partner was giving him Youve heard about the Demon Lord? Lucifer asked. Why yes, my grandfather used to be part of his army, though, I dont know how many years ago He used to tell me tales about his bravery and how he fought back against humanitys tyranny, The Goblin Elder began to explain. His grandfather? Wasnt this Demon Lord pretty old? From what I read, he existed a few hundred years ago. How old is your damn grandfather?! I asked. Well, he had evolved into a Hobgoblin Warrior back then. Due to this, his lifespan was increased, and he lived up to almost 300 years. He was not the strongest or something, but he was very skilled at teaching, commanding, and coordinating his troops. He was also good at all kinds of weapon techniques and was a formidable fighter, even against those stronger than him, Said the Elder. The Elders Grandfather is our Hero, Hobuta, Said the Chief. We pray to Hobuta, our hero, and as one of our ancestors, we often ask for him to bless his descendants, us! Shouted the daughter of the Chief. She was a Goblin yet wasnt as ugly as the males. Her beauty was rather refined, and she looked like a little cutie baby girl that you just want to pet and hug. She had an adorable face, big yellowish-gold eyes, long and pointy ears, and long silvery-white hair. She wore a simple leather dress and sandals and was also around half a meter tall, while her father was a meter and a few centimeters. Goblins didnt grow taller than that, but it was said that if they evolve into Hobgoblins, they become as tall as humans. I see. Youre such a diligent little girl, arent you, Gofumin? I asked as I petted her. Her hair was soft and silky, and she blushed a bit after receiving my affection. Of course, my daughter is the smartest girl in the village. Shell become our priest in the future, The chief explained. I dont want to be a priest. I wanna be adventurer, papa! Gofumin refuted while pouting. Adventurer?! You cant! Thats way too dangerous for a little girl. Also, humans dont look good on demi-human adventurers. But Aww Poor little thing A-Anyways, my grandfather once said that before the Demon Lord perished, we Goblins could live in the larger Majin societies to the far south, but that was before humans destroyed them all and threw us, the survivors, into the wild. Said the Elder. So thats what happened in the end The Majin Kingdoms they were all destroyed? Is there nothing left? Lucifer asked as despair took hold of his eyes. No Not that I know of. He did say that the survivors of other tribes ran into the wilderness too But as of now, humans had overtaken the entirety of the large continent, we cant do much than live as foragers, hunters, and gatherers. The Elder sighed. I-I see Lucifer sighed. So theres no hope for rebuilding the Kingdom of Majin Wait, why not? After I am done with my revenge, I could pick them up and build a nice and cozy place for myself, right? Who cares about humans? If they come at us, I am going to kill them and turn them into Undead. Yeah, sounds like a plan! I dont like to promise anything because I could quite literally die in this journey, but let me tell you something If I can fulfill my current wishes Let me aid you later on. After doing what I want to do, I want to build up my own kingdom. A ghost cant really live in human societies, you know? So, if that were to happen in the far future, do you want to join my kingdom? Ah Lady Maria Is this true? Asked the chief. A ghost commanding a Kingdom interesting. Youre very bold to even say such a thing with such confidence Fine, I see some confidence in you And youre a pretty lady too, so okay! Fuehehe! Laughed the Elder, glaring at my body again. Maria youre so strong. I am sure that you could build something if you wanted Well wait until then, Said the Chief. I want to go with Maria on a journey! Shouted Gofumin. No, you cant! Youre still too young, The Chief refuted once again. Muhh Sighed Gofumin. Maria Do you truly want to do something like this? Lucifer asked. Yep! Wanna join? Its not like I have another option Hahh, youre the only one childish enough even to say such a thing seriously, Sighed Lucifer. Oi! How dare you treat your Necromancer like that?! Lucifer smiled. I dont know why but perhaps youve begun to affect my mind or something, and I want to trust you I just perhaps by holding onto this Hope for a better future for the Majin, I might find some consolidation that could appease this wrath in my heart, Lucifer muttered. Lucifer Aw, you poor little dragon, come here! I hugged Lucifer tightly as he rested on my chest. E-Eh? He got all red! So cute! There, there~ Well do it together, dont worry! Petting his silky hair felt nice Y-You perverted woman! Cried Lucifer, getting embarrassed and jumping away from my grasp. Lady Maria, can I get a tender hug within your chest too?! Asked the Goblin Elder. BONK! Guegh Partner hit him in the head. E-ELDER, STAY WITH US! ----- PancakesWitch I Sleep Because I Am Lazy, Not Because I Need To ----- Before going away, we decided to stay for a week here, and there were several reasons for that! One of them was monster hunting! We wanted to hunt monsters around this place, so the goblins could be at ease with not as many threats roaming around. Another thing was bandit extermination! We wanted to kill all the groups of bandits around here that usually tried to capture the wild demi-humans around. And the last reason was fluffy and cute Gufumin! She was too cute, so I wanted to spend some time with this adorable little girl. It was already the morning of the next day, and the Chief had invited us to stay inside his tent. It was small, but he and his daughter fit quite well, and we did too, all snuggling together. With Lucifer behind me, and Partner in front of me, they made me a sandwich! It felt nice to sleep like this as well. Although I was sure that there was something hard poking me from behind my butt Hehe So, youve finally shown your true colors, Casanova! I woke up and looked over at Lucifer, only to find him sleeping to the other side. His tail was poking into my butt. Ah I guess I shouldnt have made weird ideas. Hes really a pure-hearted devilish fallen dragon, after all. He looked so cute sleeping that I could help but pet his hair and touch his ears. What a handsome young man! I cant believe I have him in my party. It is almost like I am dreaming And to the other side, the adorable Partner looking at me angrily! Eh? Muuhh W-Whats wrong? Muuhhh I think she didnt like how I was petting Lucifer while he slept. Okay, okay, I get it, here. I approached my hands towards her head and began to caress her little pointy ears, then, I caressed her long hair, and her happiness increased. Hehe She chuckled cutely, snuggling onto me. Good morning, sleepyhead, I said. Good morning, master Sleeping feels weird. She said. Is it? I guess we dont really need to sleep as Undead, but we still can do it. I like it though. Maybe because I am actually very lazy, I admitted. The cute Gufumin woke up before her father as she smiled cutely and jumped over our leather bed. Maria! Maria! Tell me more about the outside world! She demanded. Gufumin-chan, youre so cute P-Please have some mercy. She had jumped over me and was asking me cutely. Her cute face was very close, and I felt the instinctual motherly sense of hugging this beautiful little green sprout! Ueh? I hugged her tightly before I sat her over my lap. Very well, Ill tell you! The outside world is filled with terrifying monsters, giant boars, enormous hydras, dungeons where monsters appear, but treasures await, such as enormous human towns filled with EXP! And above all! Theres not enough delicious food, Eh? Indeed! I want to eat something other than just grilled meat! I should have stolen some salt when I could- wait a second the carriage had some! Oh nice, then well make up something good! Did you explore a dungeon? Gufumin asked while moving her tiny feet around. Indeed, it was horrifying, dark, deep, and filled with ooze Uegh, and giant bugs, I sighed. Ooooh! I want to explore a dungeon one day too! Gufumin said, her eyes shining brighter than ever. Shes very pure A total contrast from us monstrous vengeful undead Well, Partner is also pure-hearted, just jealous. The chief suddenly woke up, discovering our secret conversation. Hm? Ah! Gufumin, dont annoy Maria-sama The chief said. Papa, Maria is telling me tales of the outside world! Gufumin said. Again with that idea? *Sigh* we just rescued you from being enslaved, and you still want to go to the outside world despite all the dangers? The chief asked. Yeah! I want to meet mama! Well go on adventures together And well hunt monsters, and sell them and have fun leveling up! Gufumin said. Right, wheres her mother? The chief gritted his teeth, looking at the ground painfully. Y-Your mother was reckless, Gufumin, you cant be like her I dont want to lose you. The chief sighed as he grabbed her away. But I can come back and bring gifts! Like mommy that will one day come back! Right? I-Its not the same, daughter Sighed the chief. I guess he doesnt want to tell her that her mother most likely died Ugh this is sad. Gufumin-chan, I will be your mama! No, I better not tell her this. Anyways! Lets all eat some breakfast! I got some nice ingredients from the store! I said, calming the mood. Food! Gufumin said, raising her little arms. Food! Partner said, raising her arms as well. Food! Eh? Even Lucifer did it! Oh my god, hes already joining our stupid little things, huh? Look how far he has come in these short days! Mrao! Kuro came into the tent, licking my face. Did you sleep well? Meow! Gakkh! Suddenly, Kuro coughed a human finger. Huh? I didnt give him the corpses of the guys we killed yesterday; I was gonna use them for Undead Guardians for the tribe Chief! T-There are several corpses outside! Suddenly, a goblin came out. We rushed outside and found around five corpses that Kuro brought from wherever he went last night. T-These are bandits! The chief shouted. Kuro, did you just go and kill a group of passing bandits?! I asked. Meow! Good boy! I rewarded him by petting him. Best cat ever. But this is also bad. It means that theyre coming closer. Said the chief. Is that so? Hmm Dont worry about that. Well go kill them after breakfast, I said. S-So confident Maria-sama, thank you! Well be forever grateful! Shes such a beauty too! Fueheh! Thats right! Praise me more! I am the best! Cut it out already. Sighed Lucifer, pulling my hoodie over my face. Anyways, I began to browse through the stuff I had in my Inventory there was salt, cheese, and even salted meat, bread, potatoes. There was actually a lot that this fat pig had for himself! How about we make a stew for the whole village? You guys must be hungry, right? I said while winking. S-Stew?! We have only been eating seeds for weeks. UUUOOOOOOHH! I guess they were happy to have decent food for once ----- PancakesWitch Having A Big Feast With New Friends ----- So, time to make a tasty stew for the folks! I opened my inventory and took out a sack of salt, potatoes mixed with other things such as carrots and radish, a few large chunks of dried meat, spices, and even some monster bones that could make a good broth, alongside a lot of hydra meat we have lying around; I bet it could taste nice. I checked if it had poison or something, and it didnt. It was just very high-quality meat! Lucifer and Partner had been eating it up, but it was a gigantic beast, so theres a lot lying around even now. And because my Inventory doesnt let food spoil, it is the perfect place to store stuff without worrying about it rotting away. The Goblins here were very cooperative, as they began to help me cut the meat and vegetables and boil them in freshwater that they took from a nearby lake. The Hydra meat was actually quite tasty when boiled in salt and made an amazing broth if we added some bones into it Oho! The bones richness is slowly boiled into the flavors of the soup Oh my, oh my! It''s looking delish! Finally, some decent food! Salt, how much Ive missed you! Now that I can materialize, I can eat food and even slowly convert it into mana through a similar thing as digesting, but I dont have to go to the bathroom anymore. Yeah! It feels honestly normal at this point because I got used to it, but not needing to do both is a bit strange when you think about it Anyways, I better not talk about that in the middle of the food, though! I left Lucifer and Partner to roast the meat. They added some spices and salt too and were quite cooperative. I am guessing that Lucifer was also hungry for some tastier food than just raw monster meat, but he was hiding it because hes a prideful and grumpy old dragon. And Partner well, she inherited my licking for tasty food, so she wanted to try out some salt on her meat. In addition, Kuro went into the lake and began to hunt fish. He brought them back with his mouth and even ended- EH?! SPLASH! GLUOP! GLUOP! GLUOP! A giant three-meter-tall catfish was suddenly thrown out of the lake! W-What?! A giant catfish! It has been ages since we had one. Amazing! Hurray for Kuro! The goblins began to praise my cat as he jumped out of the lake. He hunted quite a big game for us. We decided to save it for later though, as we dont have to eat everything, and we have already made around six pots filled with stew, which should be more than enough for the goblins. They have small stomachs, and there are less than 40, so it should be feasible to feed everyone. I also cut down the bread into slices and distributed it with the stew. And in an instant, everyone began to dig in. Family, friends, and the young ones. It was a pleasant sight. We sat down at a table with Lucifer, Partner, the Chief, and Gufumin. Meanwhile, Kuro was snacking on a meter big catfish, which was probably a smaller version of the giant he got. The sun is bright today Uwah, this was really a nice day to just relax. Been a while since we truly relaxed for once, huh? I said. Indeed. It has truly been a while Though we have been camping around, being with the living really does make things livelier. Youve been taking good care of your people, Lucifer said to the chief. A-Ah, we are doing what we can, sir. But even then, many well, many died in that raid, so we ended up becoming even less Many hunters died there, so we now have way more women and children compared to adult hunters, Said the chief. Do women do not hunt? I asked. Its not that theyre weaker or something, but theyre taking care of the kids. Theyre better at that than we are a thing of culture you see. The Goblin replied. Oh I see. There are a few ladies that hunt. They''re strong on their own, but they also got kids and dont want to stay away from them for too long. We are trying to make up for the losses of the past years by having more kids to fill up our ranks, but it''s gonna take a while Sighed the Goblin. Can I get seconds? Gofumin asked me as she showed me her clean plate. Her face was a bit nasty with stew. You really liked it, didnt you? I asked while petting her. I loved it! Ive never eaten something so yummy before! she said. Aww Gofumin, dont be rude asking for more food. We have already been helped so much! Be more mindful, will you? The rest of the food is for the rest of the people, too, Said the chief. I want some more Gofumin sighed. I served her some more while also adding a slice of bread. Here, dearie! Youre so young. You need to eat a lot to grow strong like your mama, I said. Ooh! Thank you! M-Maria-sama, if you begin giving her seconds, then everyone will think youre using favoritism. It is not a good thing, even less as the daughter of the chief. Sighed the chief. Well, why should I care? If they want seconds, they can come. First come, first serve! Dont complain if you didnt get seconds! As I roared, the goblin village exploded, and everyone came rushing for seconds. There were enough seconds for everyone, but I served them less than before fufu Lady Maria is quite something, Said the chief. Shes like that. Youll get used to her, chief, Lucifer added. I want thirds! Partner shouted. Theres no more! I replied. Muuhh Partner got a bit angry, hitting the floor with her foot and pouting. I am still hungry She sighed. B-But theres no more I said. I want more! Fweh?! Partner began to grab my breasts and annoyingly play with them until I was to give her what she wanted! Aaah! S-Stop! I said, as I hit her head with a book I had in hand. SMACK! Gueh! How very rude! You dont go treating me like that, young lady! I said. Buhh Sorry She apologized. Aw, how can I get angry with those puppy eyes? I opened my inventory and gave her a large hydra leg. This should do, dearie, dont get so desperate, I sighed. Ooh, meat! And the problem was solved. Ugh, I think I might be too forgiving. ----- PancakesWitch Summoning New Undead (+New Cover!) ----- Now that we are done with feeding the people, I had many plans to put in action. First of all [Fake Life]! I raised a few Undead Guards, who the group of guys we killed yesterday, alongside the group of half-munched guys that Kuro ate. I managed to close their wounds using [Undead Healing], but [Undead Healing] doesnt bring back flesh, so it can only seal wounds and cauterize them, so they still looked disfigured. I did this in front of the Goblins so they would be used to Undead as soon as possible. I had planned to use the pile of slime I had to make slime undead, but I had heard from a Goblin woman that they could be made into a preparation named Slimy Jelly, so I decided to give it to them instead. I mean, the more food, the better. The bones we had from monsters we hunted could be used for broth, so I didnt raise them either They were monster bones and were rich in mana and flavor. So, in the end, we were left with just these guys. I made them into Undead, and thankfully they kept part of their original power, which was honestly amazing news. Also, they were more competent than I thought, although they groaned a lot. I ordered them to protect the village as they nodded dumbly and began to guard the surrounding area. They look promising, but theres something telling me that they are stupid. They were as strong as G-Rank monsters and were simply named Zombies. It is normally a hard decision for monsters to create Undead because it is often way better just to use them for food. Maybe I should just sacrifice some bones and make a few bone undead Alright, fine, maybe we can pick some boars later to make up for the flavorful bones gone. Using these mixed bones left, I created three Bone Beasts. They were as strong as F-Rank monsters and could hold up on their own. They had the shape of snakes, as I made them with the Hydras neck bones and so on. Also, one of them was reinforced with a random bone I had, creating a thick bone armor. Incredible Maria is really a goddess! She can create monsters. T-The next Demon Lord! The Goblins began to pray to me as they saw me raise the dead. Huh? I thought they would be scared. What is going on? I asked. Well, the Demon Lord was known for being a necromancer and also a summoner. He was able to summon monsters and create undead easily, making immense armies to fight the humans in just a few days Lucifer said. Ooh, I see. The power to raise the dead is something scarce! It is a mystical power that only those chosen by the God of the Underworld can wield! Shouted the Elder of the village. Well, I do have this curse But for some reason, I am not siphoning their fortune. Why is it? Oh, wait, it only works in neutral and enemy targets So these people already count as my besties? Aw God of the Underworld, youre so considerate! Anyways, after showing off what I could do, I placed the new Undead to guard for now, and after, we decided to move on to a major problem. The Bandits! We have seen them around the north of the forest. They hide inside a cave within an area with tall hills We used to go there to mine salt and a few metals, but they forced us out, and now they have been occupying that place for four years now. The Chief explained. I see Alright, pack your strongest men. I am going to use those tasty EXP bags to level you guys up, I said. E-Eh? Level up? Us? Asked the chief. Yep, so hurry up! I want at least one of you to become a Hobgoblin if possible, O-Oh! The capable men quickly got ready, wearing armor they stole from the caravan of goods from the merchant Ive brainwashed, alongside some of the magic weapons the guys carried around. I got a bit concerned about the remaining goblins safety as just the undead might not be enough. Lucifer, take care of them until we return, I said. What? But I wanted to slaughter some humans! Lucifer shouted while getting angry. Hes quite cute. No is no! You stay here and make sure theyre well protected. The chief told me that theres another faraway bandit group that might assault them if they see us go away, so keep an eye on them, will ya? Very well I can kill them if they come, right? He asked. No, only cut their limbs or something, so they cant escape. The goblins have to kill them to get the EXP, I said. W-What? Well It doesnt sound so bad Fine, Lucifer finally gave in. Youre a good boy! I said, patting his head while floating in midair. Stop treating me like a dog! Cried Lucifer. Haha, hes really like a puppy. Hes even moving his tail around Ill go with Partner and Kuro. Take care of the new Undead friends. Theyre looking up to you as their senpai, I said. Lucifer noticed how the Bone Beasts and the Zombies looked at him as if he were their idol even their blank sockets seemed to glimmer with sparkles. Groar Graoo Gaahh Eh? S-Stop looking at me like that! Go back to guarding the area! Lucifer shouted. As we left the village with the chief and another 15 Goblins, we were guided by the Chief through the forest. It was a pretty clear and bright forest compared to the one where we came from. The trees were not as tall, and the light of the sun penetrated through the leaves better. We walked upwards, following a river that moved down a hill, and there it was. A large cave was beneath a grassy hill. There were some camps around and a lot of dudes walking around with leather clothes. I also saw one of them was roasting a large boar. And another was carrying around Wait, those are slaves?! They have slaves? Goblins even humans and, is that an elf? I asked. Ah? That must be new! They enslaved goblins from another place?! The chief shouted. He was just as surprised as me. Whats going on here? ----- PancakesWitch Stabby Stab, Slashy Slash ----- I glanced down below at the bandits hideout; they were carrying more slaves with them. Seriously, from all the cliches we had to get, there had to be a lot of slave abuse? Ugh. The Goblin Chief was surprised as none of the goblins were recognized by our group, which means they probably came from another tribe of goblins But how? Did they steal them from another merchant? I looked around and found a large carriage. Was this slave week or something? They did indeed catch a carriage filled with slaves, and the merchant inside was probably killed if there was one. What should we do? The Chief asked. Isnt it obvious? Well storm the place and rescue the slaves, I responded. V-Very well. The goblins readied themselves, gripping their weapons tightly. They should chill out a bit. I used [Shadow Sneak], [Stealth], and [Erase Presence] to sneak into the hideout by carrying everyone inside of my [Shadow Storage]. And like I thought, I was able to do such a sneaky thing. In fact, it was pretty easy. When I got near it, the small batch of goblins jumped out of my shadow, and the bandits were shocked. What?! The bandits began to scream in surprise, but Partner and I were faster. We moved at a speed that they could barely see, and we began blasting their limbs away. Partner used her spear to slice the limbs of the guy near her, who was sitting over a log enjoying some boar soup. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! GRRYYYAAAAAGGH! Blood sprayed everywhere, and Partner was so fast that she cut off his limbs in an instant. He fell onto the ground, and the Goblin Chief came to finish him off. And without even explaining anything to the guy, a knife went in between his two eyes. The goblins were ready to massacre. We used our speed and deadly attacks to blow away the limbs of the initial wave of bandits that were outside. I used my [Dark Gale] to slice them up easily. Humans such as Bandits were nothing compared to a C-Rank monster such as me! I could kill them by merely glaring at them, but I wanted the goblins to get their sweet EXP, so I held back. I continued slicing limbs as if it were the most incredible thing ever. There was undoubtedly something entertaining about seeing them confused and squealing in agony like pigs. They didnt even know who we were or what we were, but they died by the goblins one by one without ever knowing what happened. Kuro kept a watch around while we continued our slaughter-fest. What is going on?! Eh? T-Theyre slicing their limbs? Who are those two girls? Theyre too strong! A-Adventurers? No, heroes?! Shit, run! A second wave of cowardly bandits came forth. They were scared shitless of us and began to escape from the cave... Well, they tried at least as we immediately appeared in front of them. I merely willed it, and slicing dark winds cut their limbs, with the group of goblins following us from behind like ducklings, slaughtering what we left for them in turns. If all of them added damage to the bandit, they would get shared EXP, so they made sure to pierce their bodies several times with their weapons before giving him the finishing blow. With this, each bandit died quite horribly I even began to feel sorry for these guys, but that feeling quickly faded away when I started to simply not care. I am so detached from my humanity at this point that I dont even see them as people but as EXP bags and possible Undead materials. The screams of the confused bandits continued as we began to move deeper into the cave. There, we found a small group of tents with the slaves caged behind metal bars or being held hostage by the last dozen of bandits. They had knives near their throats, and the trembling goblins, elves, and even humans were looking at us with horror. N-Not a single step more, or well kill them! You guys, from where did you get these slaves? I asked. Eh? Didnt you hear what we said?! And how come you all are so equipped? I doubt that the merchant carriage had everything for you, T-Thats a secret! And why are you loaded with these boxes filled with dark potions? I looked at entire wooden boxes filled with black-liquid potions They looked strange. [Black Miasma Potion (C-Rank)] A special concoction made from the extraction of the residual miasma of the Fragments of the Evil God. It is refined into a potion that temporarily enhances all stats while giving the user unprecedented supernatural strength. Side effects include headache, vomit, fever, death, or mutation into a Demon. Wow, what the heck? This looks pretty suspicious to me, not going to lie, I muttered before explaining the effects to the goblins, and they were left speechless. Y-You bastards, what do you want to use these potions for?! The Chief shouted. N-Not a single step, or well kill them! Ah right, the slaves. Alright. I used [Shadow Sneak] and sneaked into the shadows, and in less than a second, I dragged all the bandits down with me inside of my shadow storage. Yup, I can do that too. W-What the heck? Where are we?! Its all dark! Welcome to my domain, My voice sent shivers down their spines as they began to slash at the empty air. I flew around and used [Dark Gale] consecutively. In just 10 seconds, all of them were limbless and screaming in agony while losing large quantities of blood. I rushed to the outside world again and threw them to the ground. Kill them. I can ask their souls anyways, The goblins grabbed their weapons as they rushed towards the defenseless bandits. Slashy slash, stabby stab, they were all stabbed to death. Even some slaves joined in as they hated these guys a lot. Their eyes were completely filled with bloodthirst. When everything was done, I had gained a nice amount of EXP, enough to level up once! ----- PancakesWitch Saving Slaves To Show I Am Not Completely Wicked PancakesWitch ----- Ding! [Youve gained 4650 EXP] [Your level has increased from level 0 to level 1!] [EXP: [1368/5000] I could have gained more EXP if I killed them all myself, but that wasnt the plan. I wanted the goblins to get the most EXP because they were going to get strong and protect their place while I wasnt around later. And ideally, I would want some of them to become Hobgoblins. I got so many Experience Points I cant believe it! I am about to hit level 10 The Chief said in excitement. Nice! I said while patting the baldies head. T-Thank you for doing this for us, lady Maria! We feel so strong now! We gained a lot of strength. I think I even gained a new skill! It seems that the level-ups brought them nice stats overall. Some even gained bonus skills. I dont know why aristocrats dont do this. Just ask some adventurers to bring you half-dead monsters or something! Or maybe they do it, and they still suck? Nonetheless, we were done here. The former slaves were freed, and many of them began to cry. I caught the souls of the bandits before they were able to escape and imprisoned them inside my Shadows. They began to slowly get encroached by the power of my Undead Queen Title, and in only a bit of time, they should become more open to talk. Thank you, strangers It was really horrible. I can finally go back to my homeland. How can I see my family again after these demons have used me? It seems that some of the girls were used by these pigs. Ugh. I hate this trope too. The worst part is that, aside from agonizingly killing the ones that did this to them, I cant do anything else. Well receive you into our tribe after resting for a while and eating well. You can consider going back to your homes or stay with us. No matter the race, well accept you, Said the Goblin Chief. He was an innate leader, and his simple words convinced the slaves, who felt welcomed and safe by the goblin. Thank you I hope we are not too much of a bother. I-Is this a dream? Are we really free? As the Goblin Chief took care of the slaves for me, I began to pick everything up into my infinite Inventory. Boop! Tent gone. Boop! Foods gone too. Boop! Extremely suspicious miasma potions are nowhere to be seen now. Boop! Corpses are gone as well. I cleansed the entire cave of anything worth value or not, and then we finally decided to move back to the tribe. There was a lot to talk about, especially these suspicious potions I was carrying with me. Why were these things made, and who made them? What was the purpose behind them? Did bandits steal it from the merchant they got the slaves from as well? Oh right, the slaves might know something. I asked the elf girl with long blonde hair and emerald eyes. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she seemed to have been used very roughly A leather coat barely covered her as she was almost nude when we found her. Well also make sure that she takes a good bath later. I remember that the potions they were used on us, they once made me drink one. It made me go insane I still have sequels from it I remember there was a man, coated in black robes perhaps he was behind this. We have only met him thrice He goes from one bandit hideout to another. Perhaps they all work for him. Said the elf. So they used them as slaves to experiment on? Do they want to create an army of beastly people with them? Oh, dear Well, make sure you get some rest. But let me ask Do you remember anything from where you came from? I asked. We used to be from a merchant that captured me almost a year ago. I used to be an adventurer I wasnt even a criminal slave. They just captured me when I decided to go complete a quest in the outskirts of Affnaria I wasnt able to escape, and they knocked me out. When I woke up, I had a collar around my neck, and I became a slave Since then, I''ve wished to die every single day I thank that I was given that potion, as it has made my mind dizzy, and fragments of my traumas have disappeared but even then, the things t-they did to me I hah Sniff The elven girl began to cry as she suddenly tripped over a rock. Her barefoot was all damaged, filled with wounds that were infected. I wish I could heal her. Dear, Ill carry you. Eh? I held her with my arms as I carried her like a princess. Fweh?! Y-You, dont need to d-do this. She stuttered. Dont worry. Its nothing. Youre very light, like a feather, I said with a smile. B-But isnt it embarrassing? She asked. No? Why would it be? I saw your feet damaged and I couldnt bear seeing you walk anymore. Well make sure to heal them. You can wash your body by the river in privacy, too, Ah T-Thank you for being so considerate The other former slaves were carried in the carriage, which Kuro moved to the tribe. After 40 minutes, we arrived back at the tribe. Nothing happened. You were paranoiac, Said Lucifer. Apparently, no bandits came here while we were off. Well, thats for the best. We brought a lot of people and stuff, I see And that elf? He asked, looking at the elf in my arms. Oh! I just couldnt bear to see such a cutie walking with her foot so damaged you can call me heroic all you want; Ill take the title of the heroic ghost! I laughed. Lucifer looked at the elf girl as she timidly gave him a glance. H-Hello Hi. Well take care of you. For now, you should go wash up, Lucifer said. Ill bring her to the nearby river. Like this, we brought many slaves to wash as they were all filthy After that, we used the help of some of the goblins with a talent for healing magic, and we healed their minor wounds alongside using medicinal herbs harvested around the forest. There was still a lot to do yet, and I am still in the blue about who exactly is this guy with black robes If hes threatening this whole place, well have to smack him out of the picture. ----- A Mysterious Man PancakesWitch ----- The figure of a pale man coated in black robes looked at a crystal ball. He had left a powerful spell to look at the caves of the bandits he was managing, like camera surveillance. However, as he saw how one of the bandit hideouts was assaulted and destroyed so easily, he couldnt help but feel bitter. Even more, they took away the precious miasma potions he had been painstakingly making for his bosses, the mysterious organization of blood addicts that moved things behind the shadows He used a Familiar in the shape of a bird to look over the Goblin Village from very far above. Who are these people?! Just when did the Duke and those two fat pigs die? I lost so many clients Also, now there are these strange Majin trying to interfere with my plans?! Theyre strong though, I have to admit it However, I cannot simply let them do as they please with my belongings! The man raged as he looked over the dark cave from where he was. Several slaves were working incessantly in making more potions. The strange materials, dark secretions that released a poisonous gas when they boiled into the concoction, and other things were weakening and making them look moribund, sickly, even. There were goblins, elves, dwarves, and even humans these slaves came from all around the Kingdom for him. After all, as he was the leader of this small branch of the bloodsuckers secret organization, he was given a lot of generous resources from his masters. He was working so far away from civilization to not be found out, and one of the major buyers of his products were the Duke and the two pigs in Affnaria, who were mysteriously assassinated several days ago. Now, he was left with a ton of items to sell elsewhere. He had already managed to find some clients in the neighbor Duchy, but it would take some time to get them there. This is why he had taken over the nearby bandits and made them his pawns It was their job to bring these potions there, and this is why he had given them some slaves to aid them. But of course, these mysterious figures emerged and ruined his plans! The man gritted his teeth as his pale face was filled to the brim with frustration. Why was he always so unlucky? The reason behind the assassination of those three is still a mystery, but I bet the Dukes siblings settled it. They went to war against one another for the throne, and thankfully, as their father is already sickly, and his days are counted, in less than a year, he will kick the bucket, The man thought. He began to walk through the dark caves, reaching a deeper area. After that happens, the most capable will become the next King or Queen All these greedy royals are all the same. No matter how righteous they act, they would slaughter their own families so they can rise to become the top dogs of their shitty country Hahh, but well, I am a servant of my lords, and I only obey them and nobody else. And they know about all of this. He continued down into the abyss-like cave, feeling the coldness of the dark wrap around him. They have most likely received several offers from the aristocrats as theyre moving fast. Theyre going to use these potions and other products made from the residual essence of the Evil God Fragment to boost their troops strength and make powerfully monstrous soldiers The wars between the Duchies how amusing Humans are fascinating, As the man thought these things, he reached an empty room and began to use several materials he had inside a spatial pouch to carve several magic circles in the ground. He even began to light some candles around it and put on several bones, some cartilage, and other materials from monsters. Like this, they will end up giving aid to whoever they deem the easiest to manipulate, and make him King, essentially turning all of my lords and their families into the secret rulers of the entire Kingdom! Hahaha Such an easy plan It is finally time. Unless the church dares to summon Heroes But they shouldnt be able to The Summoning Circle made by Odin to summon the Heroes was broken in the last war against the Demon King, He muttered as he looked at the magic circle he created rather casually. He poured lots of the potion he was making on the entire area and then walked off of it, pointing his staff which was decorated with a human skull. Hm, it is done Come forth, my nether beasts! [Advanced Necromancy], [Fake Life]! FLASH! Conjuring the mighty spells, the black-robbed man smiled maliciously as the materials merged together and formed large figures within the shadows. Monstrous creatures started to emerge, roaring furiously! They looked like horrendous spawns of the netherworld, ready to ravage anything! And they exuded the power of high-ranked monsters! GRROOAARRR! GRAAHH! GGRROOAARR! This should be more than enough. But let us wait for the right time first, He muttered before petting the grotesque creatures ----- After the former slaves were washed and given new clothes, we helped them heal using the magic that some talented goblins with a knack for healing magic had. I wish I could have healing magic! [Healing Undead] doesnt count I tried using it on a half-dead rabbit, but instead of being healed, it began to rot! It terrified me. Perhaps I could use it as a rotting attack against the living I might have to test it a bit more. But honestly, it could be cool to touch someones face and look them in the eyes, saying: Youre already rotten! as I begin to rot their entire heads into a smelly pulp of slimy flesh! Ah! Wait, no! Thats sick! How can I think such a thing? I guess being a Ghost really gives you another vibe regarding all of this stuff. Honestly, I wasnt even a fan of gore back on Earth, but now it feels like it''s part of my being or something Pretty crazy. Anyways, after the initial introductions, we made more food as I was starving! Well, not really, but the rest were. ----- I’ll Make You Happy For My Redemption Arc PancakesWitch ----- We picked up a lot of food from the bandit raid like a lot! They had so much bread, dried meat, vegetables, grains, and seeds of all sorts that it was as if they were living a super fantastic life there. They even had three boxes filled with wines aged for over 30 years which should be super expensive! Uwah, wine! I wasnt particularly into drinking back then, but any decent adult woman should enjoy wine at one time or another. But I mostly drank it because I was a loser virgin and drowning myself in wine made me happier but lets not talk about that. Look, Luci-chan! I said as I showed the wine to Lucifer. Luci-chan?! I am Lucifer! Dont forget my name- Hm? Whats that? Lucifer approached me as he was watching over the goblins cooking the food. He then looked at the wine bottle as I saw that his eyes dimly shone with excitement. Wine! I shouted. I-It is really wine How long has it been? Lucifer wondered. Wine! Whats wine? Asked Partner. It is a very bitter and spicy juice with a little flavor of rotten fruit that makes you feel funny, I said. Oooh! I want wine then! Partner said despite my gross explanation. No! Youre way too young for that, Partner. Wine is for the adults! I said, hugging my bottle. Gehh But I want wine! Wine! Wine! Wine! Partner began to complain again. Fine, but only a little glass, I said. Yaay! I dont think the wine will affect us anymore. We are Undead, Lucifer said. Right. Well, whatever, well still drink it! I shouted while crossing my arms. Fine, Lucifer muttered. After that, we decided to sit down and converse with the former slaves who were willing to talk! It was fun to listen to their stories. There was a merchant guy who got captured half a year ago! He was forced to work for the black-robed man. He told me that he was part of a team that made that ugly potion, but he didnt remember anything more. Perhaps they brainwashed him not to remember the details Hes a good alchemist but wishes to go back to Affnaria, although he has nothing now that he lost everything, so he was also considering staying here. His name was Manuel, by the way. Another guy was a young dwarf blacksmith. He used to be part of a little village far away from here, living in a mountain range with his village of dwarves. They sold weapons and armor for a living and had close ties with a Dwarf Kingdom and the Kingdom of Humans here. However, their village was raided by Orcs, and they lost everything. When he escaped, he was captured by bandits and sold as a slave that was proficient in blacksmithing, which was quite valuable. He seemed to have nowhere to go now, so he was staying here. I immediately knew that he could be useful for the Gobs, and also, his name was Grabbo. And aside from these two talented guys, there were a bunch of other guys that were just good with their muscles and other technical stuff that the enslaver taught to them. Half of them wanted to go back to Affnaria, and the other half decided to stay here, increasing the population of the Goblin Village. These guys were decently strong so they could become good hunters to aid the goblins. The girls on the other side were less in numbers but were also all quite broken. There were very few that were not sold for nasty things, such as sex. Many of them were being abused on a daily basis, multiple times a day. They were the most traumatized and had difficulty speaking as they seemed to be exhausted from even living. The only one that spoke was the elf girl, her name was Emeraldine Sylphy, and she was actually a half-elf with a strong elven bloodline, making her look a lot like a pure one. Her father was unknown, but she said her mother was a warrior of an Elven Kingdom. But sadly, her mother died from a monster wave while defending the village where they lived, when she was 60. Since then, she was left alone at the age of 23, working as an adventurer and using her gifted talents from her mother to hunt beasts and make a living out of it. She was barely managing to survive every month, but she said she was quite happy. Shes good with a bow, Wind Magic, Light Magic, Wood Magic, and Spirit Magic, but is quite clumsy, and it was pretty apparent. She has a lot of talent and potential; she could become a good village protector if shes willing to go back to training and build her body back up to a decent state. You guys had it pretty hard. I sighed. Indeed But its nothing compared to what you seemed to have gone through. After all, you just said you were a ghost, lady Maria? The dwarf asks. Hes a sharp guy. Hahaha! No? I am a Majin! Not a ghost, that was just some flashy magic. I like to call myself a ghost because I am like one, I responded. O-Oh, I have never seen such a pale and human-like majin before, but your silvery-white hair and crimson-red eyes Are you half-vampire? Asked the human. Hmm not really. I would like to keep my identity a secret you guys, so dont try to dig too deep on me, I said. O-Oh, we apologize. We didnt want to offend you. Yeah, we were just a bit curious. So you were not a ghost, Maria? Asked the elf. How could a ghost talk and have flesh like me? I am totally alive! I shouted. But you made those Undead, right? Asked Emeraldine. Yeaaah I just happen to have an affinity with death magic, nothing too crazy. O-Oh After the meal was done, I brought everyone with me some plates of food. The slaves were barely fed some scraps, so they were delighted when they could finally eat a full and hot meal. I guess Id like to see these people be a bit happier for a redemption arc. ----- Efficiently Raising Undead And Eating Souls ----- As we had done what we needed to, the day quickly came to an end, with the night already gracing us with its presence. Also, my party and I decided to keep watch at night this time around. We are Undead, so we dont get tired anyways. I left Emeraldine, who had gotten oddly clingy with me, where we slept last night. I also gave her a petting of good nights as she hugged me for some reason. And after that, she went to dreamland. Shes so cute! Shes like another daughter Uwah, am I collecting daughters now?! She has such a sad past, so I really want to spoil her Gufumin also grew a bit closer to Emeraldine, and the two ended up sleeping next to each other. The little Gufumin usually slept at the side of her over-protective father, but he let her be this time because he knew he could trust the half-elf. [Fake Life!] FLASH! Several phantom masses possessed the corpses of half of the bandits we killed just today. I also put in the effort of sticking back their limbs using my [Undead Healing] as a glue-like spell. These guys kept part of their original techniques and were quite formidable warriors but under my command, they were unable to resist and became very loyal undead which was perfect for guarding at night. I had also convinced the souls of the bandits to speak, so they told me everything they knew. The information wasnt anything new from what I had already learned from the former slaves. These guys were contracted by a mysterious, black-robed guy who they didnt even know the name of, and that was pretty much it. They were asked to distribute this potion in the next couple of days to the neighbor duchy next to Affnaria, which we would reach by crossing the road. It was also our next destination in our aristocrat pig-slaying journey. I had thought about putting them into their original bodies, so the undead would be more intelligent, but remembering what they did to Emeraldine and all the other girl slaves I couldnt help but torture them a bit. I had shaped my ghostly soul into countless black spikes and used them to pierce their souls for several minutes. Soul pain exists, and it is several times stronger than physical pain too. It is a searing pain that makes your mind go numb with a single hit. And as a ghost, I got used to it already, but these guys They dont even understand whats going on. Theyre just suffering horribly. How do you like it? Being penetrated all over? Huh? Do you love it? You loved to do it to those girls, right? How about now, motherfuckers? GRRYYYAAAGGH! KILL ME! KILL MEEEEEE! UUAAAAAGGGH! GYYEAAAAGGH! Youre already dead, idiot. I sighed. I continued to shape my soul and this time into tentacles that literally pierced their entire souls until they were left like Swiss cheese. They all stopped screaming suddenly, as their wills and minds were completely broken. After that, I grabbed them and stuck them all together into a mass of phantasmal souls, wriggling grotesquely, and ate it. CHOMP. Ding! [Youve gained 6430 EXP!] [Your level has increased from level 2 to level 3!] [EXP: 2306/6000] Oi, that was a lot of EXP. What the heck? I guess eating this soul meatball was really the best EXP source! Anyways, after that, I began to drink wine with Lucifer while looking at the full moon sitting comfortably in the dark night. Partner was also with us, sitting in the middle and also sharing a glass of wine. Lets see how it is. I drank the wine, and it was quite refreshing, better than just water. I dont even need to drink water anyway, so I barely drink it aside from when I feel like it, but still. Hmm, it tasted a tad bit spicy and had a few notes of cherry. An alright wine, Lucifer muttered before drinking the whole glass. Have you drank better ones? I asked. Indeed, in the Majin Kingdom, we drank the best wine which we actually made. It was also sold cheap to our people, but we only drank it on festivities because there wasnt enough to drink all year long Of course, some death magic users used [Aging], a spell that let them age things which helped us mass-produce the wine, but I didnt like it as much as naturally aged one, Said Lucifer. [Aging]?! Can I learn that? Perhaps, but I dont see a use of it now. It can make older people more youthful if applied every day on them but only as a massage though. I remember those old witches looking like young twenty-year-old girls, thanks to it, Ooh! That would be pretty nice to use, but I wont age, I guess, I shrugged. Indeed, but you could keep those that have aged a lot at your side through using it. Maybe using it on the Elder though I am sure he has a few more years, Lucifer smirked. Hm, he seems pretty energetic. He looks at my body as if I were made of gold or something Pervert old man! I shouted. Well, your materialization is quite erotic. Have you not seen your own body? Your- Ahem, never mind, Lucifer suddenly stopped himself from saying any more. Uhu~? What is it? I asked cheekily. Nothing Tell me! Go on! I-I said N-Nothing! Lucifer stuttered, shyly averting his gaze. What a perverted dragon! I chuckled. Pervert! Degenerate! Sinful! Youll burn in the flames of hell! Shouted Partner, smacking Lucifer in the head with a stick. Agh! Cut it out! Lucifer shouted back. Although he didnt do anything against Partner because she was pretty cute, I bet. As we drank wine and joked around, I suddenly heard a few footsteps approaching from the forest surrounding the camp. The Undead and the Bone Beasts alerted me through their connection with me. Something was coming here and fast. Somethings coming. Get ready to fight! I jumped off of the log I was sitting on as Kuro came rushing at my side. We suddenly heard the footsteps of the creatures and could tell there were three and they were three big ones. Boars? Lucifer muttered. No Theyre not boars. They feel stronger than that, I said. Hmmm Ah! This Aura Netherworld Beasts?! Lucifer said those words as the beasts showed up in front of us right before reaching the village. ----- Netherworld Beasts Attack! PancakesWitch ----- We were sitting on a log right at the front of the village entrance. You see, the tents are centered at the left side of the lake, while we were sitting right in front of them where the forest begins again. And right from there, three creatures leaped out of it. All of them were releasing powerful death and dark auras. Their power was commendable, and they were overflowing with mana. I analyzed them and got this. [Dark Netherworld Beast: Lv 1] [Rank: C-] [State: Hungry for souls and flesh] [Dark Netherworld Beast Pack Leader: Lv 1] [Rank: C+] [State: Hungry for souls and flesh] [Dark Netherworld Beast: Lv 1] [Rank: C-] [State: Hungry for souls and flesh] I saw that their stats were pretty high, higher than I expected. Theyre at the same Rank as me but higher than my companions. However, they seem weird, theyre just level 1, and all their skills are not so strong nor varied. At most, they had the basic stuff with some unique things such as [Nether Bite] and [Corrosion Claw]. They also had magic such as [Venom Bullet] and the classic [Dark Sphere]. However, aside from that, they looked not so threatening, aside from the big stats, which were more inclined towards speed and offense, leaving them vulnerable for strong and explosive damage. We have to stop them before they get into the village and make any fuss. I used my authority over the Undead I raised, and all the Zombies and Bone Beasts rushed near the tents and camps, protecting the people there. In the worst-case scenario, theyll use themselves as meat shields so the people can escape. But the ideal case is to kill them before anything of this happens, of course. Lucifer, you know them? Yes Powerful Necromancers summon these monsters. Theyre impossibly hard to summon because most people lack the magic circles, inscriptions, and materials. You see, Necromancers can even make recipes about Undead and- We better not talk about this here, GROOARR! Our discussion lasted about 10 seconds before the three Beast leaped towards us. They had the shape of oversized wolves with the heads of skulls and had black fur with black miasma inside of them. Their empty eyes glowed with blue phantom flames, and their tails were bony and spear tipped. The Pack Leader was fierce and targeted me right away, while the other two targeted Lucifer, Kuro, and Partner! GRAAOOO! Kuro roared loudly as he leaped towards one of them, his jaws quickly tearing apart their flesh, and his claws, which were coated in shadows, slashed right through their bony bodies! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Partner wanted to stay at my side, but I gave her the order to assist Lucifer and Kuro, so she nodded and used her spear to release three powerful thrusts behind the back of the Beast that Kuro was targeting. The beast roared in anger as it fired a barrage of Dark Spheres that she evaded by jumping around swiftly. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! On the other hand, Lucifer transformed into a dragon and used a strong body slam against the near four-meter-tall Beast that targeted him, surprising them as he transformed. He used his claws to slice the beasts front limbs, but the beast regrew a new one by producing a black substance that materialized into a leg. Damned beasts! Lucifer got angry and bathed it in his breath of phantom flame. The beast evaded, but it still took some damage while jumping over him from his tail and firing a barrage of venom bullets towards his face. And me? Well, the pack leader was looking at me as if he had fallen in love with my ghostly beauty. Whats wrong? Too scared to come at me? Oh right, sorry, I am draining you guys Mana while sitting here oopsies. RROOOAAR! The beast was easily provoked as it opened its jaws and released a blast of nether through its [Nether Blast Breath] Skill, which I evaded, leaving an afterimage of myself made of shadows which it thought it was me! I sneaked through his own shadow and emerged from behind him before shaping my shadows into tentacles that grasped his legs. I grabbed him tightly and began to slam him into the ground, smacking him while bombarding it with [Dark Gale] and [Dark Sphere]. I had to be rough here, so I went for [Shadow Arrow Spears] too, and as the monsters had high resistance to dark and death element, and were immune to status effects, my Famine aura was not too good, and my venom and poison production would not work here either. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! The beast got tired of my bullying while its resilience showed no bounds. Its regeneration power was the strongest asset it had, as it regenerated at an insane rate and without it didnt even require consuming energy., But this was all due to their innate skill: [Super Regeneration]. GRROOARR! The beast roared at me before leaping towards me. I evaded swiftly, but he followed me from behind even when I dove into the shadows, as he fired dark spheres at me and then slashed the shadows themselves. This actually managed to slash my body and left some ghostly wounds on my body, causing me to lose HP. However, I used [Undead Heal] on myself and brought myself back to full HP once more. The thing is, two of his attacks quickly brought me down to 10% of my HP, and if there was a third attack, then I would''ve been a goner. Thankfully with my [Mana Drain] and [Undead Heal], I can keep my mana and health up no problem as long as I dont get hit a third time consecutively. There was no time to think things through too much, as I abused my constantly refilling mana pool to bombard it with long-ranged attacks as if there was no tomorrow. The beast roared angrily as it took damage, its regeneration unable to withstand so much, so it began to lose HP permanently but it was still too tough. Should I get a bit more serious then? I used [Shadow Storage] and threw the beast in there, enveloping it in a sack of shadows. I began to shapeshift the sack into countless spikes and started to smack the beast into the ground. But It didnt work as the beast slashed my own shadows before jumping towards me. GRRAAAOO! Tough motherfucker ----- Tough Foes PancakesWitch ----- The bastard sprung out of my fantastic shadow net and jumped straight towards me! I used [Shadow Sneak] to evade him by diving into faraway shadows, but he rushed after me rather hastily. Hmm Should I use my secret weapon? But it might affect the entire place. I am referring to [Pandoras Box], of course. By using a lot of mana, I can unleash a powerful explosive \attack of pure darkness, death, and poison elements, but the thing is, its a wide-range attack. What if it gets to the people in the village, and they all die? I cant let that happen. Lets see Time to improvise. GRROAR! The netherworld beast reached me as I jumped out of the shadows and shaped my body like a snake. I began to wrap him around with my own body as I began to overcharge myself with shadows! GRAAA?! Suddenly, he realized what was happening. Heh, feeling a bit tight? I wrapped around his limbs like the dexterous snake I am not and tightly held his limbs. Then, I shaped the shadows into two spiked claws and used my own body to hold him as I started to tear him apart! Oof, this costs a lot of Mana. But he provides a great amount! GRRAAAAKKHHH! A bit more and! CRACK! I managed to tear his body in half as I saw a black substance coming out of the two halves. The two halves fall to the ground, and only the half with an upper-body begins crawling around while the other is slowly melted back into a black substance that evaporates rather quickly. What the heck are these guys? The upper half begins to crawl in anger towards me while its other half slowly begins to grow out of this dark substance. Wait, is this miasma? Were these guys made using those black potions as materials? Huh Maybe I should add that to my new Undead. I quickly used my Shadow Whips through [Shadow Manipulation] to slap him into the ground. I covered the shadow whips with phantasmal spikes, which I made as hard as I could. I was infusing mana into the [Materialization] Skill, effectively raining the creature with spiky whips that began to tear it apart. Does this thing have a soul? I glared at it as it struggled to fight back. It began to shoot super-fast venom bullets, but I didnt evade them as they barely did any damage to me because they were magic-based, and my Magic stat is insanely high. Fifty percent of it is my resistance, so the result is obvious I am a magic tank. Also, the venomous side doesnt affect me thanks to status effect immunity, but it has some sort of acidic power, which even makes my phantom melt a bit, but thankfully, nothing too much. GRRAARR! Suddenly, as I slapped it to death, it released a shockwave of shadows and venom towards me. I generated a barrier of shadows and materialized it into a large plate of dark matter-like hardened substance, something I didnt know I could do! CLASH! The shockwave was blocked, but my wall shattered into pieces! GGRRYYAARR! I rushed into the air as I evaded his deadly leap. The beast stats were pretty high even in this condition, but its HP was not recovering further, and that was because I used [Mana Siphon]... though I didnt have much mana. But thankfully, his regeneration is very weak now. I had also tried using [Life Drain], but it doesnt work on Undead. If a living being uses life drain on an undead, he will end up giving his own life to them as a counter effect, but if an undead does this to an undead, nothing happens. So it is only a tool that the undead can use against the living unless a living person wants to heal their wounded undead friend without having to give them their flesh and blood GROAR! The beast released his phantom flame breath, and his claws were coated in nether, slashing through the air and throwing slashing claw-shaped energy waves at me. I evaded and blocked some, but they packed a strong punch. My barriers shattered quickly, and I ended up getting slashed a few times, but I constantly used [Undead Heal] on myself. However, I have also been chipping away at him! His HP was already lower than twenty percent I had to just go a bit harder Several magic arrows made of shadows emerge around me. They resemble more like sharp spears, but I called them Arrow Spears instead! And how about we add my new Shadow Materialization combination between [Shadow Manipulation] and [Materialization]? The result? Super hardened flying projectiles! I am literally Gilgamesh but edgier now. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! My arrows continue to rain on the beast as it groans agonizingly. And finally, its entire body is torn apart, piece by piece. Die, motherfucker, die! GRRRYYAAAAGGGGH! POOF! Suddenly, it explodes into black smoke, leaving a pool of black water and its skull-head. Sheesh, that was unexpectedly tough for a mob fight. I felt the EXP travel into me, but I ignored it as I needed to aid my allies. I found Lucifer getting almost owned by one of the beasts, despite them being much smaller. It began to tear down his stomach and had already slashed one of his legs, making it difficult for him to move. His claws were deadly as he had managed to lower the HP of the creature by half, but he was weaker due to his lower Rank and stats despite being a former dragon. I guess hes very rusty Hopefully, this EXP can help him out! CLASH! I created a larger than usual spear arrow and materialized it, firing it at the monster. The result? It was pierced from its torso down, and it lost its balance, trying to still slash at the dragons face. Maria! Lucifer cried at me as if he were delighted to see me. Having a tough time? Just help me! He cried, embarrassed, as we began to gang up on the beast. My arrows were insuperable but consumed mana in insane quantities, so I decided to create a Shadow Blade this time and wielded it as if I were a swordswoman. I was very clumsy, but Lucifer held the weakened beast with his claws, and I practiced a sword technique while slashing its body. Haha! This is actually fun! GGRRYYEERGGH Its HP went completely down, and thus, another one bit the dust. Now, onwards to the third and last one because I want to continue drinking wine ----- *Insert RPG Battle Victory Music Here* PancakesWitch ----- As I glanced at the rest, I noticed Kuro and Partner working together to take down the last beast. Its HP was already below fifty percent, and the two were working wonderfully together. I suppose Kuro is weaker than Lucifer, so Partner felt inclined to aid the cat better. And I hope it is not because of favoritism I hope! GRRAAAOOO! Kuro roared fiercely as he jumped towards the beast and tore a chunk of bone and black flesh away. Partner used her spear techniques to pierce the wound and then shape several blood masses into blades, which pierced the beast again! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! RAAARR! However, the beast was just as fierce as it attacked back with all its might and released a blast of shadows towards Kuro, shooting him into the sky. Kuro! I cried as I saw my cat fall onto the ground. I instantly reached him and poured some phantasmal essence on him through [Undead Heal]. His wounds quickly healed, and his HP stabilized. Mrao I petted him before flying towards Partners side. Lucifer was barely standing as I forgot to heal him, but that doesnt matter now. Haaahh! Partner intercepted the enemy with her spear and used her long claws to defend herself. The beast was wild and tried to chomp her head, but she punched it in the face. Remember, she had steel bones! CLASH! GRRYAAGGH! Partner, let me give you a hand! I created a net of shadows and materialized it, keeping it tightly strung together, and although it cost tons of mana, this beast provided it without any problems. Kill, kill, kill! Partner roared angrily as she used her spear to pierce the beasts body several times, as I held it tightly to the ground. The beast growled a few last groans as its HP went down to zero, and its body could not keep itself together anymore, causing it to die on the spot. Phew, I guess thats that Ding! [Calculating EXP gained] [You gained 25000 EXP!] [EXP: 27306/6000] [Your level has increased from level 3 to level 4!] [Your level has increased from level 4 to level 5!] [Your level has increased from level 5 to level 6!] [EXP: 6306/9000] Sweet, three levels in one shot. This is what I call a good grind. And what dropped items did we get? None, just black water, and some skulls this is not a dungeon after all. Only dungeons have the power to give dropped items, it seems. After the whole incident, I rushed towards Lucifer and stuck back his leg using [Undead Heal]. You took your time He sighed. Now that we are done here Erm, what the heck was that? I asked Lucifer. The black-robed man is probably related to this. Were you able to catch any soul? Lucifer countered my question with another question. No it was weird. They were very small and phantasmal, like Partners soul when I first raised her into a Skeleton, I responded. I see. Then it is probably Undead that was just raised, only for the objective of killing us We should remain alert for the rest of the night while looking for clues as to where this bastard could be I have the urge to crush him, Crush! Partner shouted angrily. Grao! Kuro roared as if wanting to enter the conversation. For the rest of the night, we continued watching around our surroundings. As Undead, we didnt need sleep, so there was no problem in this regard. I snacked on some dried meat sticks from the bandits and drank some fruit juice which they also had it was a pretty fine meal. But I shouldnt get too gluttonous. Food is unnecessary for me, and more like just having fun, so I shouldn''t be eating what might be better off for someone else in the village like the adorable Gofumin-chan. The morning came sooner than we expected, and thankfully, nothing else had occurred. After the goblins woke up, we spoke to them about the whole thing. They were shocked that they slept through all of that, as the battle was definitely tough. As they conversed amongst themselves, I decided to upgrade my Undead based on what I learned from these Netherworld Beasts. I decided to use the miasma potions and the black water and bones they left behind. And upon gathering all of these materials, I told one of the Bone Beasts to follow me. I used the Bone Beast as an experiment to see if I could upgrade already existing Undead. The result? It didnt work. It had to be used on something inert. So I shed a tear as I dispelled the [Fake Life] spell from this little friend I only met for a day, leaving only his bones. I used his bones for this new Undeads body and mixed miasma potions into the concoction. The result? I summoned my own Netherworld Beast! Although it was fairly different, named Shadow Nether Beast, it wasnt C Rank, but D+ Rank. It was fine though, as it held some interesting abilities and was highly intelligent, resembling the Netherworld Beasts by quite a lot. But the most noticeable difference was that they were covered in shadows. I proceeded to do the same with every Undead, allowing me to make two more Shadow Nether Beasts while the Zombies turned into Dark Ooze Zombies. Their skin turned black like charcoal, and they were covered in black ooze, which acted kind of like a slime. They were able to open their body parts and release this ooze as tentacles to fight and surprise enemies pretty useful. I gave them the most important order which was protecting these people, and they seemed more intelligent than before, as they nodded with understanding. Who would have known that this miasma potion could make such OP Undead? I had considered using Undead as EXP bags for the goblins, but now that I upgraded them again and used materials on them, I feel like I shouldnt waste them. I also tried to make that one big fish Kuro caught into a zombie, but the result was that it began leaping around as it wasnt in the water. The goblins managed to kill it, but the EXP was so low it wasnt really worth it. Maybe EXP within Undead depends on the quality of their bodies and the souls they have Nonetheless, we will begin some scouting to find where this black-robed bastard is hiding. ----- That Was Quite SUSpicious, Time For An Emergency Meeting Among Us PancakesWitch ----- Within the depths of a dark cave, a black-robed man, the culprit behind the Netherworld Beasts attack, gritted his teeth as his face was filled with disbelief. T-They killed C-Rank monsters? T-Those three What are they?! The foolish Necromancer had believed that his excellent plan of sending three C-Rank monsters, each one capable of demolishing a whole city and singlehandedly slaughtering a whole adventurer guild if a C-Rank Adventurer wasnt present at that moment, would be enough to defeat our wonderful team of Undead. BAM! The frustrated Necromancer couldnt help but slam his table in frustration. He had wasted tons of precious materials he had gotten from the black market and they were worth millions of gold coins! Damn it! Tch And they seem to be able to fight insanely well especially that woman! How can she conjure dark magic so easily and proficiently?! Does she have infinite mana or something?! The man shouted, his crimson-red eyes drowning in even more disbelief. If this continues, these monsters will catch onto me sooner or later I have to do something against that! I Oh, right. There is that other bandit group I should just give them a few Undead allies to rely on, tell them to drink the miasma potions and do their best while I escape triumphantly! Laughed the black-robbed man as he began to quickly save things inside an inventory. He was a big coward, to the point of quickly running away whenever he realized something wrong was going on. As long as I bring results to my lords about the experiments here, things should be fine It should be doable I will show them the footage of those damned monsters, so they hopefully spare my life, He thought while quickly packing his things. A laughing skeleton knight had come with an order to the bandit camp, wielding black armor and a demonic blade. His cracking skull laughed maliciously, as his empty eyes flashed with fiery blue phantom flames The bandit camp accepted the order because they were enslaved to the black-robed man And upon reading the order, they all drank the deadly black potions before preparing to attack the goblin village. Meanwhile, Maria had begun a meeting with the Goblins and the former slaves ----- Strategy meeting! After enjoying an excellent breakfast and bonding some more with Gofumin and Emeraldine, we began our strategy meeting for the upcoming events. First of all, we were going to storm the bandits that were left! And to that, we asked the former slaves where the remaining bandits could be, but they seemed to be moving around throughout the week. Also, most of the slaves didnt pay enough attention to the smaller details, and many didnt know of the last time they heard about the second group of bandits. However, Emeraldine seemed to know. As a half-elf, she had a better memory than the average person, so she recalled a certain occasion. I remember one time when a drunk bandit spoke about them it was just four days ago. He said they lived near an abandoned temple and that it was a cursed place where they often heard the whispers of ghosts he laughed at them for being unfortunate to have to live there, She said. An abandoned temple? Do you guys know about any? I asked. Most of the goblins had no idea what she was talking about, even the chief. However, a timid young Goblin girl with black hair covering her eyes stepped in. I-I know She stuttered. Eh? Everyone looked at the tiny girl causing her to blush in embarrassment. Tina? You know? Asked a female goblin who seemed to be her mother. Y-Yeah When I went hunting rabbits yesterday, I ended up getting lost for a few hours And I ended up stepping into a strange place It was filled with ruins. It resembled an ancient temple I saw some things recently used by people, so maybe they were hidden And I ran away after that and somehow managed to find my way back. She explained timidly. EEEH?! Why would you do such a thing! Youre too young to go hunting! Indeed, young lady, youre way too young! I do the hunting, Her mother and father reprimanded her upon hearing the little goblins story. Stop, she might have been reckless, but she gave us the answers we need. If it wasnt because of her adventurous nature, we wouldnt have been able to figure it out. Dear, where did you find that place? I asked. I-Its to the southeast, passing through three rivers that merge together and an old tree with a big hole where howls live, She said. I see! You have saved us big this time! But make sure to not wander around by yourself, alright, sweetheart? I patted Tinas silky and soft hair before I kissed her cheek. She was such an adorable little honey bun~! Here, I gave her a thing I had saved; they were candies I had taken from the pig aristocrats. Even though I kept them for myself, I gave her a few. W-What is this? She asked timidly. Candies, theyre very sweet! Save them for yourself and eat them slowly, I said with a warm smile. Oooohh The girl saved her prize quickly like any cunning goblin would before the other goblins noticed that she had something pretty yummy. After discovering the right directions, I marked up a map that already had this area of the forest mapped. It was an expensive map I got from the library that I stole and emptied back in the previous duchy. I quickly got ready for my journey and prepared to raid those bastards out of anything they had while making sure to kill them in the process. I also decided to bring Lucifer and Partner with me, but I left Kuro leading the Undead here. I made sure to check the surroundings beforehand by expanding my shadows all around and sharing my senses with them through my unique capabilities as a ghost, but thankfully, there wasnt anything else approaching eh? I heard a lot of noise from far away. Are they planning to come here by themselves? Ohh How about we surprise them with a nice ambush then? ----- Ambushing The Ambushers Before the Ambushers Ambush You ----- Nothing too clever, really, just a very humble ambush. I know I am not a smart-ass strategist like one from a novel, so I just abuse my overpowered abilities and what I have in hand to get the results I want. But ambushing the bandits at the village would be horrible because we would be letting them get too close to us. We moved towards the direction Tina told us, as my senses only took us so far before some kind of magic effect suddenly canceled the noise. I came accompanied by the Goblins Warriors, which was the main team that came with us for the Bandit raid. They had leveled up a lot, and I think they might even be close to hitting max level. The chief said he was at Level 12 out of 15, so at 15, they probably can evolve into hobgoblins or something. I have to feed them some easy kills before that, and then boom! The Goblins will be able to defend themselves way better than before. So, when I am gone, they can begin hunting wild monsters more frequently before using their new strength to gain even more EXP and help their other members level up. Everyone wins! And now, we lurked across the forest in the bright and early morning. The sun had already risen into the sky, and the day was as clear as ever it was a beautiful day to be honest. Well, a beautiful day to slaughter Here are the three rivers. Theyre very thin, but they are indeed rivers How could we have missed them? The Goblin Chief pondered. The little Tina was more than right. There were three rivers, each one was as thin as half a meter, and were separated by small patches of dirt and grass- actually, it is just a larger river that is separated by small island-like masses of dirt and rocks but it does make it seem as if they were three rivers. After crossing through it, we sneaked around a bit more, and then we found a large, old tree. It was completely different than the other younger trees, which were rugged and filled with wounds. It even seemed as if it was struck by lightning a few timesIt even had a big hole atop, where there was lots of dry grass. I floated a bit upwards to see what was there and found four beautiful howl chicks sleeping with their parents, who looked at me with their eyes wide open. They began to rain me with peeks, but I evaded and flew away. That was both cute and terrifying. Its here, As I told everyone this, I suddenly felt the presence of something lurking around. I glared into the distance and found a Huh? A skeleton was walking alone. It resembled a normal low-level one. [Skeleton Soldier: Lv3] [Rank: E+] [State: Scouting the Area] Oh, he is indeed just a little soldier, and hes scouting the area Huh. Alright, guys, time to get the plan going! Get in! I expanded my shadows as everyone jumped inside through [Shadow Storage], one of the most broken Skills Ive learned thanks to Supreme Magic and my Dark Affinity. I had heard from Lucifer that it would take dozens of years for a dark mage to learn such a complex spell heh. After that, I used [Shadow Sneak] and activated my stealth-based skills before waiting in the shadows of the forest as the skeleton got closer and closer And Gotcha! I opened my [Shadow Storage] and grabbed the skeleton before throwing him down. And he disappeared! Heh Gang up on him, guys! Get all the EXP! The goblins roared fiercely. Aye, aye! Take this, you pile of bones! ORRAAA! CLASH! CLASH! BOOM! The goblins ganged on the poor skeleton until it was turned into a pile of shattered bones. They all gained a little shared EXP, and so did I, and then, I took the faint phantasmal soul of the skeleton and ate it. Chomp. And then, I managed to gather a few memories it had Through it, I was able to see that the skeleton came from the temple right around the corner, and it really was an abandoned ruin. It looked like an old shrine that someone used to worship gods or something. Anyways, the thing is, we were able to find the damn bandits. They were all leisurely relaxing around the temple, preparing and drinking their potions with other Undead as a Skull Knight laughed like a madman- Wait, what?! They were drinking the dark potions! Why? Youll get a stomachache! And they were drinking multiple ones Some even drank three. As they drank them, they began to turn crazy, but the skeleton knight was somehow able to control these wild berserk bandits Holy shit, this is an EXP fest. I-I mean, it is a very serious thing! They also had slaves, and they were forcing them to drink the potions and adding them into the army of beastly like beings And As I popped my head out, I sensed a small magic barrier being formed around the temple. A Skeleton Wizard raised a staff and created a soundproof barrier so we couldnt detect them. Smart move, skelly, but it wont work on me as I can see you already. Theres no time to waste I saw that the slaves were all made into insane berserkers, but there should be a way to heal them back Emeraldine and the others also said they go back to normal after some time but suffer horrible sequelae I have to catch them separately, knock them out somehow, bring them to us, and let them rest. Thats gonna be a pain, but if I put all my effort into [Shadow Manipulation], it should be possible to separate my [Shadow Storage] space into two or three different smaller spaces. Like this, I can dedicate one to store the slaves, the other for the bandits to be slaughtered by the goblins one by one, and another for emergencies or something else Preparing my shadow storage space took me two minutes, and it was quite tough But I did it, nonetheless. And silently, I began to sneaky sneak through the shadows before reaching the ruins ----- Tricking Skeletons With Shadowy Magic PancakesWitch ----- Everyone was ready! We were going to raid this camp and kill them all. As simple as that. I divided the inner space within my [Shadow Storage] into three bubbles, which should be more than enough for the little trick I plan to do. However, I remember that the Netherworld Beasts were able to slash through my shadows and even destroy my shadow storage. This means that with enough strength, it is possible to even destroy my precious net of shadows! Due to that, I gotta be careful. The group is mighty enough to do tons of killing, but the goblins are weak. Lucifer and Partner are the strongest as of now, and I can use their help to take care of the tougher ones. However, that skeleton knight laughing That guy is no Bueno. [Dark Skeleton Lord (Special Unit): Lv12] [Rank: C+] [State: Commanding Troops] Hes C+ Rank, but he has the Special Unit thingy in parenthesis. I dont get it, but it might mean that something is wrong with this guy Hes probably quite the mighty bastard. And by looking at his list of skills, hes rather interesting. He has things such as [Dark Commander], [Undeath Coordinator], [Chains of Darkness], and weird-sounding stuff such as [Nether Death Cage] He sounds scary I might even have to run away Joking! I will fight him later after picking up his guys, killing them, capturing the slaves, knocking them out, and then he will be the final boss well fight to deepen our bonds and friendship. A perfect plan! Lets do it! FLASH! I reached the camp, and the first thing I do is transform the soundproof barrier by infecting it with my shadows and abyssal darkness body. I then use [Shadow Manipulation] and [Materialization] to shape this useful barrier and convert it into my own Barrier of Shadows. I dont think I have the mana to make this thing last for long, and I am using existing barriers to do it, but lets see how far it lasts. The entire invisible barrier turns into darkness, and my shadows attack the skeleton wizard controlling it. I then manipulate them to grab the wizard and then throw him into my shadows while I expand my shadows below the entire camp in just mere seconds. Everyone began to freak out like wild animals, so I didnt hear any Whats that?! or Impossible! and instead, I heard their roars of surprise. The skeletons, which were approximately 15 Soldiers, 5 Wizards, and the Dark Skeleton Lord, quickly noticed me but didnt know how to target me; after all, I am meddling with the shadows themselves! Hahaha! But the Dark Skeleton Lord seems pretty suspicious. He already knows wheres my main body is and immediately charged at me! However, I quickly evade, moving my mass of a phantom body away from the shadows I have expanded across the field. The entire floor is made of my shadows, after all. As I continue to send every bandit and slave into my [Shadow Storage], I play a game of cat and mouse with the skeletons, running in circles. They seem dumb enough to not realize they could surround me Meanwhile, the bandits and slaves disappear from their sight at a breakneck pace. I am already spending so much Mana that I spent around 50% of it in a single minute, even though I am constantly absorbing the mana of everyone here. But even by calculating it, I will not have enough to make this last more than 5 minutes. We have to get this done quickly! The Goblins are greeted with a group of Bandits, and one by one, they begin to drop into the shadow space inside my [Shadow Storage]. Led by Lucifer and Partner, the Goblins begin to gang up on the monstrous and crazed Bandits. They seem way stronger than before as the bandits had drunk several potions, and their strength seemed now comparable to E-Rank monsters, compared to the measly G-Rank losers they were Each goblin is around G-Rank too, but if they use the help of Partner and Lucifer [Blood Blade]! Partner dances in the shadows as she releases several blades made of her own blood, filling the bandits with deadly wounds, making them groan in pain on the ground. Lets go! The Goblin Chief raises his arms as he unleashes the mighty rage of the goblins onto their first victim. Lucifer does the same, burning a group of Bandits with his phantasmal flame breath and slashing another one with his claws! As the bandits squirmed half-dead, the goblins separated into different units amazingly well-coordinated thanks to the Goblin Chiefs Ability named [Chief of the Village], which helps him coordinate his troops and enhance the power of his villagers by just a slight bit! It is something he just got after leveling when he killed the skeleton scouting the area. Coupled with my Titles which have effects that enhance those below my command or that follow me, they grow a bit stronger and at least double their power which is enough to be able to overpower the half-dead crazed bandits. They begin to earn tons of EXP, causing many to gain a few levels. While the bandits fall to their demise and begin to go down in numbers quickly, I separate the slaves into a different bubble and knock them out by using my [Abyss Body] Skill, which can make people so fearful that they faint. I used it until it worked on them all. Some died, but I stuck the soul back in, and they revived barely Haha, I had it planned, of course! Meanwhile, on the outside, I was being chased by skeletons. KAKAKAKA! The Dark Skeleton Lord seems furious, raising his Demon Blade and releasing a dark and red beam at me. I swiftly evade and dive into the shadow surface, but he keeps firing his demonic beams at me. Meanwhile, the Skeleton Wizards are up to no good either! ----- A Battle That Will Rattle Your Bones PancakesWitch ----- The Skeleton Wizards are up to no good! They had begun to conjure some very BRIGHT magic. I never expected skeletons, actual Undead, to be able to use Light Magic so proficiently! It was is as if they were custom made for me Wait Did the black-robed guy see us fight? Then it is possible that by seeing us fight, he created a way to counter my shadows and darkness with a very intense and flashing light. I have to stop them! KAKAKA! CLASH! However, as I rush to stop them, the Dark Skeleton Lord gets in my way. Using his blade, he hits the ground and intimidates me to pull back. Damn pile of bones! I fire a barrage of arrow spears at him to move him away, but he resists them flawlessly. His skeleton and armor are pretty tough! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Fuck, Lucifer, Partner, how are you two? Both of them finished weakening most of the bandits, but some are still intact. We still got some that need to be hit! Lucifer can do it alone, master! Let me help! Partner speaks rather eloquently as she wants to join me. I guess this will be a girl and girl team up! Alright, Partner, I choose you! FLASH! I throw a ball made of shadows before Partner emerges from them. What a nice actress I am! The Skeletons are horrified as they see my precious Partner emerge, her aura of darkness and blood like a stream of deadly essence. She glares at them as her black hair waves menacingly! HAAAH! Partner rushes upfront as she uses her trusty spear and bathes the skeleton army with powerful spear thrust attacks. It was like a wave of attacks done by an entire army! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! BOOOM! All the skeletons are blown into the air. Is she playing a Warriors game or something?! KAKAKA! However, the Dark Skeleton Lord confronts her as it laughs maniacally. Its blade falls over her like a guillotine of darkness, but she evades swiftly and counterattacks with three consecutive spear attacks! The Dark Skeleton Lord manages to block the attack with his massive demonic sword! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Kakaka! Tough Master, I will take care of it! You go kill wizards! Alright, sweetie! I was already on it as I rushed towards the Skeleton Wizards, who were taking their sweet time. The incantation was almost done, and the ball of light was so intense I felt weakened by just getting near it! I manipulated my darkness as I fired several arrows at the skeletons holding the spell, pulverizing their bony legs and making them fall and, at the same time, failing their spellcasting. BOOOM! The sphere of light, however, reached towards me and exploded anyways! FLASH! However, I had already built another shadow net through multitasking and materialized it, covering the entire thing as if it were a mantle. The shadows absorbed most of the hit, managing to let me resist the faint light that came when the shadow mantle dissipated. I managed to just barely keep my shadows alive without them dissipating from the bright light! I rushed towards the still living Skeleton Wizards, who pointed their fingers at me and fired beams of light. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! Agh! Stop fucking around! I released a storm of [Dark Gale] over all of them and finished them off for good as the slicing darkness pulverized them! CLAAAAASSSSHH! Their bones flew everywhere, I caught their souls, and gained that juicy EXP. I ate the souls and quickly looked inside my [Shadow Storage]. The goblins had finished half the bandits, and Lucifer had finished off the last ones, so I quickly called him for reinforcements. KAKAKA! The Dark Skeleton Lord laughed as it began to attack Partner with a myriad of slashing attacks using his dark blade technique. He was actually very dexterous, and Partner was going all out herself, using the power of her spear-related attacks, bloodwork, and even her other skills, but the monster seemed completely unfazed by most magic attacks that were not super powerful. It seems his armor had some kind of dark shadow ability that negated most of the damage from magic. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! GRAA! Partner roared angrily as she did a spectacular flip in the air and then enhanced her own spear with her mana, spiraling downward like a drill! Wow, thats new. CLAAAAASSSSH! The Dark Skeleton Lord seemed to grit its teeth, taking the hit as it released a beam of darkness from his blade. This motherfucker was tough! Lucifer reached towards him as he used his claws to slash him off of the ground, causing Partner to hit the ground as a result, and the Dark Skeleton Lord flew into the air. But before he could fly any higher, Lucifer caught him with his spear-tipped tail and crushed him into the ground! CLASH! KAKA! It seems that it has a hard time balancing itself if its constantly thrown around like a ragdoll Good to know Shadows! I controlled the shadows and manipulated them to shape into a giant mass, catching him in midair. Lucifer began to rain him with attacks as soon as I caught him. Meanwhile, Partner leaped into the skies and fell towards the skeleton with her spear, resembling a Dragon Knight technique from a particular fantasy game However, the Skeleton Knight roared as he gathered some kind of dark power from his chest and released it into a strong shockwave. My shadow grip was destroyed, Lucifer was thrown away, and when Partner hit him, she was sent flying into the air. BOOOOOMMM! What was that?! Lucifer asked, bewildered by what had just happened. Kakakakaka! The Dark Skeleton Lord began to laugh as his power started to overflow. The entire barrier imploded due to the shockwave, as he suddenly began to drink several potions of miasma he took out of a pouch. Was that pouch some kind of dimensional item that could store more than it seemed Like an inventory? We couldnt stop him because it was too sudden. In a split of a second, he had devoured the potions, and his entire body began to overflow with black and bubbly slimy miasma Boss battle incoming, I guess. ----- This Is Way Too Intense For My Faint Phantasmal Heart! PancakesWitch ----- Kakakakaka! The Dark Skeleton Lord began to laugh as his power started to overflow. After swallowing the potions in an instant, he exploded with power. His entire body began to exude slimy black miasma, which he could control too! He was also covered in black slime, similar to his miasma. His blade began to slash around hysterically while being wielded by a black tentacle! CLASH! SLASH! BOOM! The rest of the tentacles began to attack us, as Lucifer was grabbed by one of them and thrown into the distance! BOOOM! Uagh! Partner tried to defend me as she dove in front of me while I began to quickly siphon away the mana of this thing But it had increased so much that it definitely was going to take a while. What kind of plot armor does this damn Dark Skeleton Lord have to get this transformation? It is truly irritating! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! KAKAKA! The Dark Skeleton Lord began to laugh as it walked around, pulverizing the floor with its long tentacles. It continued to hit everything as we evaded. Partner counterattacked with her spear and her bloodwork, but that was barely doing any damage. Shit! This thing has such a high defense and also magic defense. My magic is not even damaging that miasma thing. I said as I healed Lucifer, and he got ready to battle again. CLAAASH! The Dark Skeleton Lord rushed towards us as it completely skipped Partner from its menu, reaching towards ME! KAAAA! It roared as the tentacles suddenly merged together and shaped into gigantic abyssal black jaws, reaching up to me and trying to devour me whole! Are you fucking with me? CLASH! I flew into the shadows and evaded in time. Lucifer wasnt targeted, so he was fine, and actually, he used this opportunity to attack this thing, giving it a good body slam and then bathing it with slash attacks, piercing tail attacks, breath attacks, and magic spells! RRAAAAAA! BOOM! CLASH! CRASH! Wow, he was going all out! Nice! The explosive magic spells he released began to slow down the Dark Skeleton Lord as it tried to fight back against Lucifer, but Lucifers massive body continued to push him down. Of course, he was being pierced by countless black tentacles, but he resisted them due to his nature as an undead while I conjured [Undead Healing] onto him. Meanwhile, partner rushed towards where the Dark Skeleton Lords skeleton was, using her spear to break through the sea of miasma that was pouring from it. KAKAKA! FLAAASH! Suddenly, the jaws of the Dark Skeleton Lord opened wide as it released a spiraling vortex of phantasmal flames towards us, burning through our defenses as Partner resisted the flames through a Materialized Shadow Barrier I created! However, this bastard was so tough- Ah! Right, why dont I just do that? I generated three other shadow barriers, hardened them, and then pushed them forward! FLAAASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! KAAAAAAKKK! Yes! I just used the materialized walls to hit the bastard as hard as possible. His miasma and his main body were being pressed down into the ground, barely being able to move! Come on You two, gang on it! Lucifer and Partner nodded as their magical and physical attacks continued to break through the Dark Skeleton Lords large HP Bar. Little by little, their explosive attacks began to finally tear through this damn skelly! CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! SLASH! KAAAAKK HAHA! However, it suddenly laughed as an explosion of shadows and miasma came from its core, blowing us all into the sky! BOOOOOOOM! The shockwave covered a large area around us, turning everything into a small wasteland My HP was critically reducing, so I continuously used [Undead Healing] on myself, and took a Mana Potion from the merchant, and drank it. Phew I cant use Health Potions; they actually damage Undead. But Mana Potions are good enough. I only have a few, and theyre for emergencies only, but because my mana drain speed wasnt enough to keep up with the [Undead Healing] I had to do, I was forced to drink one. The shockwave dissipated as the Dark Skeleton Lord revealed itself to us. Most of his miasma was now gone, and he seemed a bit weaker I looked for Partner and Lucifer and immediately noticed both of them had their HP bars below 5%. They were barely hanging on thanks to their fantastic bulkiness compared to me. I quickly continuously healed them and drank another mana potion. Are you guys okay? I Somewhat, Lucifer responded. Ouch Sighed Partner. We looked at the bastard in front of us, which was slowly walking towards us, raising his dark demon blade, his eyes flashing with killing intent as they released phantasmal blue flames It seems that in his desperation, he utilized most of the miasma and darkness he gained by drinking the potions to escape my barriers KAAAA! FLASH! He suddenly leaped towards us without even waiting for us to recover and started to release storming blade techniques that were so strong that they shook the entire place. The ground was split, and even the faraway trees were being sliced. This guy was way too OP! Could he have been an important figure, like a hero or something, when he was alive? GRAAAOO! However, Lucifer roared and coated himself with mana. His dragon scales were reinforced through this, and he used a strong body slam to impact the minor Dark Skeleton Lord, crushing him into the ground! SLASH! However, the slashing attack it released was enough to reach Lucifers head and slice it! EH?! Unngh! LUCIFER! Ahh M-Maria I rushed towards his head, but he ----- Goodbye Skelebro! PancakesWitch ----- Lucifer suddenly had his head chopped off! He died! ... ... ... ...Or did he? Do you have to be so dramatic? I am a zombie. Getting my head sliced off wont kill me. I am still holding on to this bastard with my body, so go on and kill it already! He shouted. He lost a big chunk of his HP, but he was still alive! Alright, Lucy, Ill heal you later! Dont call me Lucy! I rushed with Partner towards the suppressed Dark Skeleton Lord. It was time to slay him for good! KAAAAKK! The angered skeleton released several slashing attacks at us, but Partner used her spear to counter them until she crushed his arm, and the blade finally fell out of his hand. KAAH?! Yeah, without your damn sword, youre not that amazing, are you, shithead? K-KAH I grabbed the blade, and it looked quite pretty. Mind if use it? Fufu The blade, however, tried to reject me. It gave me a weird feeling, and I assumed it was something like that of a Cursed Blade, a living weapon infused with souls inside. I see. But nope, dude, youre MINE now. I infused my own intent into the blade, infusing it with my soul and shadows. The souls inside were suppressed and quickly became submissive after they recognized me as their Undead Queen! The blade suddenly lost its red colors and became pale blue, overflowing with phantasmal flames. I also infused my soul into it and used the [Soul Devour] Skill onto the Skeletons chest. As Partner had already sliced off all its limbs, it was now defenseless. KAAKAKAAAAA! It cried out in desperation as I used the blade to pierce his chest. There was a magic core inside him, powering him up, which I crushed on the way to his soul! SLAAAASH! The soul of the skeleton began to shiver in agony as a scream of the morgue itself was released from his agonizing soul! GRRYYYYYYAAAAAEEEEEEEEE! Crack crack CRASH! Nice, time to eat. I slurped his cracked soul with my tongue, which I extended as if I were a frog and consumed it all. Slurp. I felt like a particular video game dinosaur for a slight second there After I swallowed the soul pieces, I gained a bit of power, only a tiny bit, and also, this guys memories Several images began to flash through my mind. This guy was he was actually an ancient Hero? Seriously?! Uegh So he was this strong due to this? Part of his skeletal body was made from the remnants of an ancient hero named: The Hero of the Iron Blade. And through the remnants emotions infused into this gear, he gained some of his previous personality. He seemed to have been a hard worker and never gave up I guess that is why he was so god damn resilient that bastard I also acquired the coordinates to where this black-robed guy is! He wasnt actually too far as well! Theres a small hill with a little cave, and if we go inside, well find a giant monolith. And by infusing death attribute mana inside, it is opened, and his laboratory is inside of the underground temple. Should we go slay him before anything else happens? I immediately contacted my Undead and Kuro on the other side. They seemed to all be fine, and there wasnt anyone crawling around either. Hes probably hiding for now, or maybe preparing to escape, or already escaping? We should really go kill him now! Well done, everyone, but the fight is not over. We have to- Please reattach my head. I am slowly losing HP. I cant move. My arms are sliced, Lucifer muttered in bits. O-Oh, right! I quickly patched Lucifer back to normal before he sighed in relief. Good as new, I said, slapping his butt. SLAP! Dont slap my dragon butt! But its so big! I said. T-Thats not an excuse! He said, turning back into his humanoid form. Ggrr Partner looked at Lucifer with envy. D-Dont look at me like that, He sighed. Master, slap me too! Here! Partner pointed at her fine butt. Eh? No, that would be way too inappropriate! I said. Hm? So you have principles only for her? Lucifer asks while crossing his arms. Agh, lets not start this again, okay? And I am not apologizing for slapping your butt. Anyways, I have the coordinates for the black-robed retards moms basement, so lets go finally kill him, I announce. D-Do you know how strong he is? Maybe he will crush us, Lucifer asks. No, he shouldnt be as strong as his own Undead. Necromancers are typically weak compared to their Undead. Thats like, a rule in all RPGs, T-That doesnt apply with you, right? Of course not. I am a ghost. I am like a final boss, not a playable character, I responded with a smile. I dont get this at all, but fine, lets go kill him. If hes too strong, we can just run away, Lucifer sighed once again. Lets do it! Partner shouted. With Partners energetic behavior, I gave the last patch up to the two, and we rushed towards the black-robed guy. I told the goblins to go back to the village because this might be too dangerous for them. They carried the unconscious Slaves as they made their way back, and as they were all max level, they were probably going to evolve upon arrival. Good luck, Maria-sama! Please, take care. Dont die on us! Are you sure about this? Asked the chief. Of course I am. If I dont suffer through challenges like a good light novel protagonist, how can I grow stronger? I asked. Thats a strange analogy which I dont understand. But fine, be careful I know youre strong. Well be waiting for you! The Chief cheered us on before leading his goblins. Ding! [Calculating EXP gained] [You gained 36400 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 6 to Level 7!] [Your Level has increased from Level 7 to Level 8!] [Your Level has increased from Level 8 to Level 9!] [EXP: 11706/14000] Oh, thats sweet! Level 9 already! This side quest has resulted in being a delightful feast of EXP fufu. Now, onwards to slaughter this bastard and eat his soul! YAAY! ----- Sneaking Behind The Final Boss! PancakesWitch ----- I have reached Level 9 out of 40. So that means there are 31 more levels before I can freaking evolve again. Thats a lot of levels Can I get enough by killing this dude? I doubt it, but well get through it eventually. Humans give some tasty EXP, so if I can kill many aristocratic pigs, I will get a nice load of EXP out of it. I might even make their guards or close friends approach me so I can also get their EXP. Oh damn, I am such a psycho. Look at me, talking about killing people like its nothing Mom, sister, how much have I changed?! I am hopelessly evil! Ah This is why I make it up by helping those in need. This way, I balance out the negative karma with good deeds towards the innocent and undeserving of bad treatment. See? Where there is evil, there is also good. Yin and Yang, all that fuss. Anyways, we continued to rush through the forest. Now that we were recovered, we had nothing else to do but get there. We moved swiftly through the trees towards the direction where the memories of the Skeleton told me to go. My level is about to reach 30. I might even evolve soon At long last, I wont just be an unliving flesh mound, Said Lucifer. Oh nice, Lucy-chan, youre getting stronger! I bet youll awaken more and more of your power as a former dragon, I said. Dont call me Lucy! And yes, as I evolve, I might unlock more of my former glorys power. But I lost most of my total power in the dungeon when it was formed. That thing was draining me out like a leech I guess I must still be thankful for what you did. Even if you keep getting into a mess after mess all the time, it has been fun so far, Aw, really, lizard? Dont call me lizard! He cried. Its just a joke. Come on You can call me whatever you want to, T-Then I Erm Ah Shadow! So lame That didnt even hurt, I chuckled. Lame Said Partner. Shut up, you former skeleton! Lucifer shouted as Partner continued to chuckle teasingly. Lame! Lameeeee~ Partner said, continuing to tease him. I am not good with nicknames; I am not such a type of person to come up with them Other than calling you a suggestive woman with an erotic body, I cant- Ah. Erotic body?! I shouted. N-Never mind that! I-I am not what you think! Hehe, I think youre really a degenerate deep down, arent you? Youre one of those types of guys that are very reserved outside but deep down, I bet youre a kinky little lizard, I laughed. S-Shut up! Can you not speak about embarrassing things for 10 minutes?! Eeeh? But thats boring. Wheres the fun if I cant poke my little dragon man? W-What kind of nickname is that now? Youre cute when you get embarrassed So do you get it? I asked while winking at him. C-Cute I am a male! I dont care about being cute! He shouted in protest. Okaaay Anyways, it looks like we are here, I said. I pointed at a small hill with a little cave. Eh? We got here quite fast, Lucifer muttered. See? Talking nonsense for a while always makes time go fast, which is a necessity when you live for eternity as a cursed undead, I said. I have no words for such a statement, Lucifer replied. Anyways, lets get to it! Follow me, crew! I let the two hop into my shadows through [Shadow Storage], and we quickly moved through the shadows of the forest and reached the dim cave. The cave looked quite dark, and it was covered by black-colored rocks that leaked some strange necrotic liquid. We moved around, trying to find anything suspicious And lo and behold! There he was. A small man, perhaps smaller than Lucifer, covered in black robes that made him look like a typical villain in an RPG game. He had pale white skin, which I noticed through his pale white hands and sharp black nails at the end of each finger. He had the air of a strong magician, his mana was vast, and he slightly gave me the same vibes as Partner was he a Dhampir or something similar? He also emanated a dark presence. He hadn''t noticed us as he was quickly trying to pack his things before leaving. He was also carrying a staff with a human skull on top Wow, edgy. Lets see [Name: Arann] [Race: Subordinate Vampire Necromancer (Majin)] [Estimate Rank: C+] [State: Hurriedly Preparing Things to Escape] [HP: [700/700] [MP: [5200/5200]{+2500} [Attack: [660]{+100} [Defense: [550] [Magic: [3300]{+2500} [Agility: [900]{+500} [Notable Abilities: [Necromancy], [Call of the Dead], [Master Necrolord], [Fake Life], [Poison Magic], [Bloodwork] [Notable Titles: [Evil Necromancer], [Apprentice Warlock] [Equipment: [Deadly Necrolord Staff: Lv10 (B-Grade)] Oof, alright, hes quite literally a better version of me. His magic power is deadly. A few hits from him, and we are more dead than what we currently are. I see he lacks any status effects, so lets see what hes got for me. Wait, why dont we start with an explosion? I slowly crept as close as I could before he noticed me. And suddenly, he began to conjure runes throughout the entire cave. Fufu, yes, get closer! Nngh I have to hurry! Damn it, why did that thing come here and just ruin everything?! The Vampires are going to kill me! He cried out. Vampires? Anyways, [Pandoras Box]! FLAAAAASSSHH! I activated my Skill, [Pandoras Box], as I released a deadly explosion of pure chaos, darkness, and death all around us! Such a beautiful sight! It was as if I had opened the box for real. Eheeehh?! BOOOOOMMM! He began to freak out, but due to his high magic defense, he was able to survive the hit, but he was also blown away, slamming against the stone wall. Come out now. Lets kill him! I roared as Lucifer and Partner came out. W-What is the meaning of this?! ----- Hello And Goodbye PancakesWitch ----- And there he is, screaming in agony. [Pandoras Box] is a spell that doesnt seem to affect me as I am well, Pandora, the race that uses it, and as long as I coat my allies with a permeable shadow coat, we will not get affected. The initial attack is the one that hits the hardest, and what remains is what I call malice essence, which is like a black cloud of very toxic venom. This guy over there has no status effect immunity, only resistance, so hes actually killing himself by inhaling it. GGRRYEEGGH! Anyways, I wanted to kill this guy so badly that I brought Lucifer and Partner outside right away, and without wasting a single second, we rushed towards him! I took out the demon blade I got from our skelly companion back then and swung it towards the black-robed man while I enhanced it with mana. SLAAAASSSH! GYEEGH?! The dude barely evaded, jumping away with his high agility. However, I managed to slice off half of his left shoulder, which included his arm and the staff he was carrying. Ooh, nice loot. I quickly picked up the staff and equipped it in my other hand. This thing was amazing! It had 2500 Mana and Magic, but it was cursed, and the curse was trying to eat my soul! Nothing too bad, really. I intimidated the cursed spirits the same way I did with the blade, and they calmed themselves down. Thats right little guys. I am your queen now. M-My staff! Cried the man as he pointed his hand at us, and around twenty black spheres were fired towards us. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! However [Shadow Wall], [Materialization], I used my amazing [Shadow Wall] with the boost of this new staff, alongside [Materialization], and created a powerful wall of shadows to defend us. GIVE ME BACK MY STAFF! The guy was throwing a tantrum What a manchild. Really man? All that buildup, and youre just going to cry now? This is really like those Isekai... What a letdown. I guess the real boss was the friends we made along the way- wait, that doesnt make any sense. M-My mana is getting sucked out of me! He cried out the obvious. Duh, I said, as Lucifer reached from his back when he stopped firing his barrage of magic and gave him a dragon punch, throwing him to the ground. CLASH! GRYEEGH! Die, Partner reached him quickly after, her spear impaling his back and his hands, as she managed to also cut his legs so he wouldnt be able to run away quickly. Agghh! Please have mercy! He cried. What? Seriously? My man, you just enslaved like almost a thousand innocent people, and you ask us for mercy? Do we look like Holy Paladins that forgive sinners if you promise us to pray every night before bedtime? I asked. AH Y-Youre a ghost! He cried out once again. Suddenly, I noticed that he was stalling for time. The arm I sliced off from him was slowly growing back, and his other arm, which was broken, began to slowly heal the broken bones. Huh, this is the power of a Vampire Subordinate. Hes not a Dhampir, but a Vampire Subordinate. Its different, which is why he has insane regeneration. He can even regrow limbs. Also, he wasted most of his mana on his tantrum. How are you alive? I threw all my mana into that barrage of attacks Ive killed armies of knights with that! He shouted. Yeah, yeah, we are not going to go play your game. Youre trying to regenerate, right? Too bad, boop! EEEH?! SLASH! I used the demon blade and sliced his head off. And done! Haha! Easy work. Even a baby could have done this. His head rolled around as I saw his soul, which was very strong, slowly begin to crawl back to his body. Wait, what? Was he trying to raise himself as a zombie? Wow, this is the first time Ive seen this. I guess Necromancers can do that, eh? I impaled his head with the sword and grabbed his sneaky soul before he was to do anything too funny for me to handle. Gyaah! Y-You can even grab souls?! Are you a Necromancer too?! But youre a mere ghost! A mere ghost? I just killed you, and you call me that, buddy? Youre really asking me to eat your soul now, I sighed. P-Please anything but that! I-I can serve you! I am very intelligent! I can do various things for you! I-I can even tell you about the Vampires, everything! I just dont want to dieee! He cried. Why not? Because I know Ive committed so many sins that I wont go to the Valhalla. He sighed. Oh yeah, thats for sure. Man, you''re going straight to Helheim, I laughed. S-So please! Just eat him, Said Lucifer. Eat! Eat! Partner chanted. True, I can just get his memories from eating him and getting a guy like this as a party member would be a pain in the ass to handle. Sorry, man, but based on votes alone, youre going down my esophagus, GGUUUUAAAGGH! I slowly slurped him like a noddle, and he even tried to crawl out of my phantasmal mouth, but I just kept slurping until he was done. I munched on him a bit to give him a few agonizing last seconds of life and then swallowed him. Good thing we sliced off his limbs. He had like a bunch of black potions ready to use to become the ultimate final boss, phew. Yeah, I am not as clich to let the villain power up in front of me! The Skeleton Lord was different. He threw like an explosion of mana against us. We couldnt do anything there. The first thing I got from this noddle snack was a bunch of curses he conjured on me before dying, so I dispelled them quickly and then finally got into his mind which was sealed? But I devoured the mind seal easily. Did you think that would actually stop me? Please After that, a rush of memories finally entered my mind, and oh boy, was he filled with important stuff Ding! [Calculating EXP gained] [You gained 60000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 9 to Level 13!] [EXP: 3706/24000] ----- Conspiracies After Conspiracies, Please Give Me A Break! PancakesWitch ----- After I ate that jerk, I obtained his memories easily. And what I learned from him was a big plot twist, the likes you could have never seen coming. Actually, I already knew a bit after I ate the aristocrats of Affnaria, but still, this just opened up more. There are a bunch of Vampires working in the shadows of these Duchies, and even the entire Kingdom, and probably many other Kingdoms. Theyre a remnant of the Demon Kings army that separated from him after he was defeated, and they intend to control the society of humans with their might, resources, and knowledge. And they had been slowly colluding more and more, even with other aristocrats. They had taken over the criminal organizations and even slowly controlled the Kingdoms underworld while manipulating the aristocrats. I dont know the exact names, aside from a few crucial ones I will not get to see in a while, so it is absolutely useless to talk about them because anyone would get bored of hearing about characters that wont appear soon! And well, this one fella was part of their little group of idiots. I dont know what to think about Vampires. In a way, theyre doing this to somewhat avenge the Demon King, but they had corrupted themselves and are also going way too far, such as enslaving other demi-human races and even Majin such as Goblins. I suppose that even between the Majin Races, which includes Vampires and Goblins, there is racism. I should speak more about this with Lucifer. He should know a lot about this. Anyways, this guy was being contracted to make these potions and had already sold a bunch of them to multiple places. They were being used as a new weapon to make the soldiers of each duchy stronger. The duchies prepared for a future confrontation between duchies, which was happening thanks to the manipulation of the Vampires, making the governors of each duchy warier of their own siblings. Wow, this is just conspiracy after conspiracy. It has NO END. Even with all the memories of this idiot, I bet I am barely scraping the surface damn. What is the ultimate goal of the Vampires? World domination? To become the top race in the world? I guess so? They just hate everyone and their mother in Midgard, even themselves. This guy was treated pretty unfairly by his own fellows, so I guess Vampires are the ultimate asshole race. Usually, they call Elves the ultimate assholes, but they seem pretty chill, at least in this continent named Midgard, which is predominantly dominated by humans. But there are also other races mixed in due to its good conditions compared to the other Continents based on Norse Mythologys Realms. Maybe the elves of Niflheim are assholes? Anyways, Emeraldine is a cutie that just deserves love, so I doubt theyre as bad as they are portrayed in fiction. I noticed something This world is pretty good at breaking tropes. I mean, it already broke the trope of goblins being a barbarian rapist race and in the end, the true barbarian rapist was the humans all along. How interesting. Are you okay? Dont tell me youre sad about his death, Lucifer asked. Eh? Ah No, I was impacted by the amount of info I learned by eating him and getting his memories theres a lot of crap to take in now. I dont know if I will be capable of taking all of this head-on. Theres just Did you know that Vampires are super assholes? I asked. Vampires? Assholes? What? I dont remember the Vampires being assholes. They were an honorable race that held their own families and were ruled by Progenitors. They were loyal to the Demon King and powerful warriors that protected the Kingdom But I guess something might have happened to them after the Demon King died I died too, so I couldnt truly tell, Lucifer gave me context like always. I see. Well, lets just get going for now. No point pondering on it right now, I muttered. Wait, theres something left to do, right? Lucifer asked. Master! Master! This! Partner pointed me towards a glowing black orb above an altar. Oh right, the entrance of this guys secret lab. He left the slaves inside working forever. I guess he was going to let them starve to death inside there? We might as well rush inside and save them. The way to open this thing is by infusing death attribute mana, which is like the key. It is so rare that not many can open this, which I guess is a good method of defense, but sadly for the vampire, I have the attribute, I muttered before touching the orb. Suddenly a large door in the wall opened, which led downstairs into an underground dungeon-like building. We moved downstairs at a rapid pace as we found an army of skeletons greeting us. Indeed, he left them here to make sure the slaves would work until they dropped dead What an asshole. Lets go, just kill them all! I shouted as Lucifer and Partner began to massacre the skeletons without any problem. They were all between F and E Rank, so they were nothing against us, but against ordinary people, they can quite easily kill them without much effort. So theyre effective guardians to prevent any slaves from going rabid. CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! SLASH! We slashed through the entire army of skeletons, blowing off their skulls and splattering their bones all over the ground. And one by one, they all fell to their ultimate demise. When we were done with, we found the slaves cornered in the room, trembling in fear as they noticed our presences. I guess we looked scary, as we exuded a pretty strong death-attribute presence. We looked at them with our glowing, bloodshot eyes as I extended my dark and phantasmal hand. You will be fine now, I said. Almost everyone had a heart attack as soon as they heard my spectral voice. GYYYAAAAHHHH! Many of them fell unconscious right away, and a few died on the spot. But dont worry, I grabbed their souls in time and stuck them back into their bodies. Ah, how nice the benefits are of being a death mage. ------ Who Are You Calling Pickpocket?! PancakesWitch ----- I extended my hand to these poor slaves, and they were so scared they died out of horror! Quite literally Ugh, am I that scary? I just want to be nice and friendly. Come on. A ghost can also be cute and nice, right? You scared them to death, Lucifer muttered. I know! And I already revived them, so dont be annoying, I sighed. Annoying?! Youre calling the great me, a dragon that has lived for millennia, annoying? Yeah, now shut up. We have bring these people outside and also investigate this place. As my comrades brought the slaves outside, I began to investigate this place by myself. It was easier than I thought because I had the memories of this guy, so I knew everything around this place. There were documents, some resources, and other stuff, but most of the things he had and were valuable were left within his spatial pouch, which I saved inside my Inventory. There were a lot of recipes for Undead I had never seen before, alongside materials to add to the Undead Raising process. After that, I grabbed everything I could and shoved it inside of my Inventory. I was bored of this place, and it honestly reeked of rat piss, so we got straight out of there after I stole anything of value or no value at all I just like to steal. Ding! [You acquired the [Pickpocket] Title Skill] Eh?! Thats new! I thought Title Skills were rarer than that. I guess I have indeed stolen a great deal of stuff. Good thing no one can see each others status, so no one will know I am a thief. Also, what does Pickpocket do? [Pickpocket: Lv1] A Title Skill bestowed to someone who had stolen over 100 goods. It enhances the users ability to steal with each level while making the user less vulnerable to being discovered. Well, alright, so it just lets you become better at robbing people? Who would have known I guess this world encourages you to steal now? But to Level up this Title Skill, I need to steal more, so it is quite problematic I guess I am not getting more of this titles level up then because I will become a holy woman who will never steal ever again from here and now! Joking. I like to grab things that arent mine and then say, theyre mine now. It makes me feel strangely good deep inside. I guess I am truly the Evil of the World. Phew, finally done with this whole ordeal. Lets go back to the village and drink some booze, Said Lucifer. I am tired too. Partner sighed. Me too. You two did a good job. I am very proud of my little baby undead. I said, petting the two. B-Baby undead?! Lucifer shouted angrily. Hehe, pet me more, master! Partner said, asking for more affection. Of course, youre so cute I would pet you all day, I said as I petted Partner even more. Now, kiss! Kiss! I kissed her forehead and nose. Happy? I asked. Yesh! Aw, shes so lovely. I think shes like my daughter now. My baby girl! Lucifer walked to our side in silence as he tried to ignore us. The slaves walked with us all the way to the village. They were all confused and sickly. Also, most of them were extremely hungry and needed to eat ASAP, as some were almost about to die again. When we reached the village, we were greeted by my Undead guards. How did things go? I asked. A boar came. Kuro killed it, and villagers ate it. Okay then, nothing much. The Zombie, who barely could articulate words while walking around. He looked like he was about to collapse to the ground at any moment by the way he walked, but he was surprisingly well balanced. Aaand, we are here! I shouted before greeting the Goblins, who were eating grilled boar. You guys came back faster than I thought! Said the Goblin Chief. T-Theyre back! I am glad everything went fine. They brought all the slaves that bastard had theres even some goblins there too, So many new people. MRAO! Kuro rushed towards me and jumped onto my face before licking me. You missed me, big guy? Dont worry, everything went fine, I said, petting him. We did everything quite fast. The black-robed guy was tough, but what do you know? If you cut the limbs of a person, they cant do a lot of stuff suddenly, such as running away or using their overpowered staff, I said, showing my new relic. Oh, thats a great staff, Maria-sama, The Chief complimented one of my new weapons. I also got this bad boy to boot, I said while showing off my other cool weapon. Thats an Incredible sword! Right? And Eh? I noticed that all the group of Goblins that came with us had evolved. They got taller all of a sudden, and some of them had dark hair now or dark tattoos. In comparison, they were as tall as a small person, close to a fifteen-year-old. You guys evolved into Hobgoblins?! Yeah, you just noticed? The Chief sighed. Shes as slow as a rock, Lucifer muttered. Who are you calling slow?! And rocks arent slow because they dont even move, Lucifer averted his gaze from me before I was to get any angrier. Youll see when I slap that big and meaty dragon ass one of these days! Anyways, congrats, guys! Lets celebrate now, We brought the provisions from the black-robed man and the bandits we defeated. We started a little feast to celebrate our victory. One of the foods we had was some delicious boar meat, which was like pork but with a stronger flavor. But everything in total was pretty tasty. I am glad youre fine, Maria I was a bit worried when the goblins came back. Sighed Emeraldine as she sat at our side while we ate and drank. Of course, I would be fine! Who do you think I am? I asked. She smiled back at me warmly as she cleaned my mouth, which had breadcrumbs. Youre so strong but also quite a bit child-like. She muttered. C-Child-like?! Hehe But that is part of your charm, She said, smiling cutely. Ah shes really a cutie Does she want to become my daughter too? I wouldnt mind! ----- An Unexpected Proposal! PancakesWitch ----- The night continued after we arrived, and we celebrated by eating all sorts of stuff. We still wanted to save some for later, especially for the Goblins, who now had so many mouths to feed but we still took some food so we could celebrate eating tasty meals. There was Salami, which was very tasty, and even some cheese, which I made into a sandwich with the bread and then warmed over a grill. The result? Molten cheese sandwich with salami. So simple yet so good There was also booze for everyone, and it tasted extra good with such an amazing sandwich. The people around us ended up looking at me as I enjoyed this preparation which they had never seen before, and I ended up making way more than I expected. The people loved it, but it was costly, especially because they could not make their own bread, cheese, or Salami Nevertheless, I believe that it is good to enjoy lifes little moments, so everyone enjoyed the crunchy grilled cheese sandwiches that I made for them. They can still sustain themselves by eating grains they had begun to plant from what the merchant had, and hunting is also a good option at the moment as wild boars are not rare around here. As we all enjoyed the meals, which included a lot of grilled boar, fish, and stew, I sat down with my friends. The goblin chief and Gofumin were here too, alongside Emeraldine and some of the former slaves. So what do you plan to do, Maria? Asked Emeraldine. Oh, well, we already defeated that asshole, and the perimeter is mostly cleansed, so we are planning on leaving in a couple of days. We want to make extra sure that you guys can handle things yourselves, so well cleanse the area some more in order to get rid of anything suspicious and quite possibly help you out with some other stuff, I explained. Eeeh? Youre leaving already, Auntie? Asked Gofumin. Well, I have a mission to do (that of slaughtering a bunch of bastards), so I cannot stay here forever Honestly, I would love to settle down and just survive with all of you guys. Youre so nice to me But we have to keep going for now. I promise you that I will come back. So until then, you have to be a strong girl, like your mommy, I encouraged her. Youll come back? You promise? Asked the little goblin girl. She was such a cutie we had barely stayed here for almost a week, but she had grown quite attached to me. She really needs a motherly figure, and even though her father is gentle and responsible, it is not the same as having a mommy to hug and spoil her. Of course! I smiled back at her, and she tried to contain the tiny tears coming from her eyes. Thank you for all youve done, it hasnt been long, but youve helped us tremendously, Maria. We swear to you our loyalty as the tribe of Goblins, The Cheif announced. EH? Really? Indeed, you are a worthy leader for our clan, W-Well T-Thanks! But I wont be here for a while I will try to hurry up as much as I can though, alright? Sure, we can wait, Said the chief. Wow, I am really becoming a Queen now This is the ideal Isekai trope! Onwards to Kingdom Building now! Thats later, though. Hm, we have to get through a few Duchies and then assault the capital of the Kingdom, so I doubt it will take such a short time At most, half a year And thats if we win, Said Lucifer. Huh D-Dont listen to this grumpy dragon! Of course, well win. I will level up and evolve a few more times along the way and then beat the big bad guy, I said, smiling proudly at the achievements I have yet to grasp. And Master is not alone, Said Partner, hugging my chest and pressing her hands over my breasts. Mrao! Kuro cutely joins the conversation. Yeah Yeah! I am not alone in this. And I noticed that Emeraldine looked at Partner, hugging my chest rather angrily. Whats with that look? M-Miss Partner, you shouldnt be so daring with your master M-Maria, are you not bothered by her fondling your breasts like that? She asked while blushing. I think youre exaggerating. Shes just hugging me, Emeraldine! Right? I asked Partner. Yeah! Hug! Partner continued to grasp them tightly. I have very low sensitivity, and this is actually just a phantom, so it doesnt feel bad, but I believe others might not think the same. Shes a degenerate woman that likes to be used like this, Said Lucifer. Who are you calling degenerate?! I am going to slap your ass! I roared. See? Lucifer sighed. Hahaha Lucifer, youre so good with jokes. Said Emeraldine. Ahem! A-Anyways, some people said that they would be slowly moving away as they recover, but there will also be some that will remain with us. I calculate that our population might triple But, I will also have to encourage everyone to be more active hunters, Said the chief. Oh yeah, you gotta just force them to hunt if they want to stay. Thye have to help the village in some way. No slackers allowed! Oh right, Emeraldine, are you staying? I asked. I-I I wanted to talk about that P-Partner, could you please Emeraldine sighed as she glanced at Partner. Partner, dearie, will you cut it off? I asked. I made my eyes glow more than usual in order to get her to respect me a bit more. A-Ah S-Sorry master I just like to hug and touch you. She muttered. Aw Youre forgiven! I said as I pet her. W-Well, Maria Emeraldine spoke up once again. Yes? I I want to move out too. She said. Really? W-With you! Can I join your party? She asked. Eh?! Everyone ended up staring at her dumbfoundedly. Maybe she doesnt know the extreme danger of my mission? ----- This Elf Girl Won’t Give Up! PancakesWitch ----- Is Emeraldine okay in the head? Why is she asking to join my party? Shes a cute and weak elf Shell die! Emeraldine, I would suggest you go back to Affnaria instead Our journey is dangerous, and what we are planning to do is not something that is necessarily correct, I explained. But I agree with some of your thoughts I also think that this Kingdom is rotten How can it be so terribly guarded that they let citizens be kidnapped as if it was nothing? I I want to help you make a change! She said. That is not really what I am going for. I am not trying to make a change for the Kingdom. What I want is purely selfish revenge I want to slaughter those that planned the horrible death of my parents and made my life a living hell, I-I see As you can see I am not a normal person. I am not a human anymore either I am a monstera Ghostan undead, and so are my three allies. We live in this mortal world attached to our negative desires and emotions. Our drive to kill and avenge those we lost We are not normal people. And to be honest, we are all insane Youre still sane, dear you have much to live for. But, I can give you the money so you can have a comfortable life for a couple of years in Affnaria. You dont need to come with us and risk your life, I said. Emeraldine looked down rather thoughtfully. Her eyes seemed to be bubbling with emotions. Well, we guessed as much, Said the goblin chief. Yeah, it was quite obvious she was like a ghost or something, Indeed, Most of the goblins around us already kind of suspected me of being a ghost of sorts. Youre weak, elf. You will die if you go at our pace. Accept her offer and be done with this, Lucifer bluntly suggested. Master doesnt need you, Said Partner as she was a bit jealous again. You dont have to be so rude, you know? I said. No Emeraldine suddenly said something. Eh? I I want to go anyways I want to accompany you, and I want to repay you for everything youve done for me for everyone I have my own abilities too I can be useful I even know healing magic and spirit magic, and archery! I I can show you that I can grow stronger in these days before you leave. She muttered. Ah, she really wants to come with me But why? This is a bit nonsensical, but shes so dead set on it that it is a bit intimidating. Show me? Do you want to train? Fine, well stay for one week here. Show me how strong you can grow in that time, and then I will decide if it is enough to come with us or not But youre just recovering, I dont know if its okay to- Its okay! I will do it! She said as she tightly grasped my hands, approaching her face to mine. I promise you I will do it I want to become someone worthy to be at your side, Maria-sama. Wow, such conviction! Is she an anime main character?! F-Fine, I get it! I gave in and even blushed a bit as she was way too close. She slowly moved away, and I saw Partner gritting her teeth in anger. Thank you My mother once told me that When I found someone truly admirable and worthy of being followed, I should never let them go No matter what, She said. Your mother Oh, she was the royal guard of your elven kingdom, right? Indeed. It is something Ive held in my heart ever since then. Shes an honorable woman And she died honorably too Wow, I never thought Elves held so much warriors honor. I guess these guys go completely against the trope, huh. And despite being so cute, Emeraldine is shifting more onto the tomboyish side. I see I guess you can do whatever you want. I cannot stop you Go ahead and show me your resolve in this single week, Emeraldine. Youre so set on it that I am actually looking forward to it! I said. T-Thank you I will do my best, She responded. I moved near her and hugged her. But dont push yourself too hard though, okay? Uwaahhh O-Okay She got incredibly red as I hugged her. Fufu, whats wrong? You dont like hugs? I-Its not that Y-Your chest is rubbing on my face. Oh, I quickly pulled her off as my breasts were pressing on her face. My bad. I should have visualized them smaller But I was always so flat in my previous life that I created a complex and wanted them as big as a mommy I guess fulfilling my wish comes with disadvantages Y-You should be more mindful Maria-sama B-But it is not as if I mind being hugged by you, She said. Oh, sorry about that Anyways! Lets forget about the gloomy atmosphere, and lets celebrate! Everyone, lets drink booze until we drop dead! Aye, aye! Thats the stuff! Maria-sama, youre way too good! Drink! Drink! Drink! The Goblins cheered for me as I began to drink a wine glass in a single shot. Lucifer was facepalming, while Partner and Emeraldine were looking at me with fascinated eyes. Phew Uegh, this one felt a bit stronger. I didnt get drunk, but I was able to feel a bit of the toxicity that it had And it had way too much alcohol. Quite the cheap booze, but it still does an excellent job at making me feel a bit good. And thats what matters! We celebrated until very late at night, and I eventually decided to go take a nap in my own tent that I was given. When I realized Partner and Emeraldine had sneaked to each side of my bed, they were sleeping soundly. Uwah, two cute girls are sandwiching me ----- The Lord Behind Everything PancakesWitch ----- (??? POV) My lord, there is news regarding Affnaria, A subordinate interrupts my concentration as he speaks about that accursed duchy. What is it this time? I have already been told that the tomb of the dark witch was robbed, that the duke and two aristocrats that were our biggest buyers were assassinated, and that the whole library was robbed Oh right, and how the dungeon that awakened there ended being a complete disappointment, with barely any monsters spawning and had an F-Rank in Mana Production What else could have happened now? I was very pissed, honestly. I have been living for hundreds of years, and even then, I am considered a young Vampire by the standards of my ancestors, but Ive never had as many headaches as of now. Affnaria By merely hearing that name, I want to break this desk into pieces. All of a sudden this servant is looking like a very good punching bag But I contained my anger. It is not good to treat those that serve me badly, or at least not without a good reason. He is not at fault for this after all, right? Indeed. I am a benevolent man. Greegggh! Aagghhh! P-Please M-My lord Aghhh Oh. I guess I began strangling him without realizing it. I quickly let him go. Hahh Hahhh Ungh Now tell me what it is if you dont want to become my hands best friend once more, I said as I was still somewhat angered. Y-Yes This there is very bad news! The Necromancer that was performing his duties as a Miasma Potion creator was killed. What? This Necromancer, whose name I already dont remember, was a crucial pawn. He generated black potions for us to sell to the aristocrats of the duchies. Uaaggh Gggeeggh Ah, I guess I began to strangle him again. My bad, I let him go. Who killed him? And why? What is going on now? I want answers, I demanded. Y-Yes! H-He was killed by a group of mysterious individuals... A woman, a man, and another woman. They looked utterly pale and dead-like, and one of them, a woman who led them, had the power to control shadows and death incredibly well also, the man was a dragon, apparently. And the other woman might have been a dhampir of sorts. What?! A shadow necromancer, a dragon, and dhampir?! What a horrid combination. Of course they could have blown off his head easily That is a terrible match. Wait, how did they find him?! I am already very frustrated, you know? I am trying my hardest to contain this anger boiling inside of me, so be good and quickly tell me, Greaaggh! Let me go Please Aaggh I guess I am beginning to become uncontrollable. Once more, I began to strangle the subordinate. I should really try to calm my anger; I have problems with it. I quickly let him go, and thankfully, he is a Subordinate Vampire, so he can take as many strangles as I want. Please, my lord, stop strangling me for everything I say. He muttered. Speak already if you dont want me to kick your head in the opposite direction, Y-Yes! W-We were able to find out about them due to the video runes within the cave where this necromancer lived but they were destroyed recently, so we cant see anymore. We dont know why they did it but perhaps they wanted to free the slaves We dont know where they are now either, He sighed. Ah, it had to be like this It had to be the worst situation, huh? Thankfully, I always have a plan B. One is down, but there are more alchemists capable of making miasma potions. Theyre our greatest strength-boosting drug, so keep making them and send a team to investigate this group''s footsteps. I want their heads served on a platter, Yes, my lord, thank you very much for not strangling me again, Now go if you dont want me to do it again. S-Sorry! The little man ran away. CLAAASH! Suddenly, my desk is torn apart. What has happened? Oh right, I guess my hands did this as I tried to rest them so annoying. I guess I do not realize what I am capable of sometimes. It is good that the subordinate ran away, or I would have crushed his head by accident. But what an interesting discovery, to think that these three clowns would try to take down my factory of potions just because theyre playing the heroes. Foolish mortals. I seriously cant understand them, theyre so strong, yet theyre bothering themselves with rescuing a band of miserable and unfortunate souls? Who would do this in this day and age? Not even their own humans, not even the knights, not even the Kingdom cares about them. If a normal citizen is taken as a slave, who would care? Nobody, so why do they care? What kind of deal are they doing? What do they get back from this? Perhaps they wanted the slaves for themselves? It is a possibility. After all, theyre high-quality slaves. Many would kill for one of them, so I suppose it is completely understandable that they might want one for themselves. Slaves that are former citizens specialized in alchemy or other jobs are always more valuable. Or theyre simply doing a good deed for self-satisfaction? I am already filled with too many things to do to bother with these foolish idiots, so I will leave the work to that team that will be formed. Hopefully, they can take care of them for me. And if not well, I will have to do something else Hmm, the interesting thing is that this is happening right outside of Affnaria. As if everything was somewhat connected together. Do these individuals have anything to do with the recent events? I do wonder ----- Emeraldine’s Efforts PancakesWitch ----- Since that day, Emeraldine changed. I thought she was the delicate type of girl, but she showed me that she had a very blazing spirit deep down, like that of a warrior. The moment I told her that she had to show me how strong she could grow in a week, she began to work harder than ever. She woke up early in the morning, around 4 AM, and began to do exercises Indeed, the beautiful and cute elf was doing sit-ups, squats, push-ups, and running around for around two hours straight without stopping. After that, she stretched her body for half an hour, and then, she took a bath with cold water in the lake and used a bow to hunt in the forest alone. After two hours of hunting by herself, she brought ten-horned rabbits and even a tiny wolf. Wow, so efficient! What the heck?! How were these bandits able to restrain her if she was so strong? Actually horned rabbits are easy to catch, and even goblin children capture them, so I guess it is not so crazy. She had some scars on her thighs and arms, so the wolf had bitten and most likely slashed her, but she had healing magic, so she just healed herself and continued her hunt Thats why she only had scars and not open wounds. Still, it was a bit worrying Nonetheless, she gained two levels from it, reaching Level 8. Unlike pure monsters such as me, Lucifer, or Partner, demi-humans have a variety of ways of growing stronger. They can pick a Job through a special Job-changing crystal inside an Adventurer Guild, and through leveling using that Job, they get extra stats and new Job-exclusive Skills. However, these Jobs can also be taken out and replaced as they progress, depending on how strong the Job was. Taking it out might reduce their stats as the Jobs evolve with them and grant more stats the higher level they are, but these stats are also bonuses that can also be taken out when the job is replaced by another. The job-exclusive skill can also be taken out unless the user of that Job has completely mastered the skill, in which case they can learn it permanently, alongside a title skill. But aside from Jobs, demi-humans can also evolve. Majin are said to be beings between monster and demi humans, and therefore, they can evolve and change jobs at the same time. Beast-kin are the same, and similar beings such as Vampires, Werewolves, and even Goblins However, their evolutions are limited compared to the variety that actual monsters can achieve. I guess it is a way to balance them? I dont really know. And between Demi-humans, it is usually impossible to evolve. They can improve themselves through Jobs alone, which is more than enough, but Majin can evolve a couple of times through their development, hastening their maturity and having the edge over them. I suppose this eventual fear of Majin growing stronger was what made Humanity fight against their expanding Demon Kingdom. However, there are sometimes exceptions, which are called special evolutions. Non-human demi-humans can sometimes evolve too, even if they dont know how. It just happens. Often when they reach a level of power, that vastly changes their appearance. Elves have been seen to be able to evolve into Fairies, Dryads, or even their dark versions, such as Dark Elves, Nightmare Fairies, and so on but theyre usually scarce individuals. Some powerful elves can live their entire lives fighting and leveling up but never evolve. And due to this, I wonder if Emeraldine could evolve. I guess well have to see, but getting two levels in the morning was quite impressive. I learned this information from Lucifer himself, who had been hunting around these last days, as he wanted to get enough EXP to reach max level and evolve. He had been doing it accompanied by all of us, Kuro included. I had tried to aid Emeraldine in her hunting, but Lucifer stopped me, telling me that she was undergoing a trial for herself. If I were to help her, the entire intention of the trial would be lost. And so, I saw her exercise and go hunting every day while she interacted with us and spoke about a few things. It was still hard for her to open up to us, but she was trying. I believe she can do it! I am rooting for her every day as she goes hunting as well! But, Ive been using Undead to guard her from afar though. Yeeaaah I dont want her to suddenly die. Some bone beasts had been lurking a few meters from her as she explored, so I could keep her moderately safe. They will only interrupt if shes about to die for real. But it hasnt happened. Though, sometimes she almost dies but manages to pull through. On the fifth day, she brought a giant wild boar Is she a prodigy or something? What is motivating her so much?! Damn, give me some of that motivation, girl! That day, I saw her status She was level 16 already but what I found weird was that there was a cap of level 20. Does she needs to change Jobs again? There is no job-changing crystal in this village, so she would have to go to Affnaria to change Jobs. Her stats had increased quite well, and she got a few new skills and titles to boot She had gotten more expressive as well and had begun to feed me food sometimes Now, Maria Say: Aaahh, please~ She offered me a slice of grilled meat. F-Fine Being served like this certainly feels odd. But I bet Lucifer would wish to have a cute girl serve him like this! Heh. Though, Partner is now doing the same because she doesnt want to lose against her, or something And on the seventh day... Maria, I think I have evolved! Emeraldine suddenly seemed more radiant than other days like, her hair had turned from dark blonde to a brighter yellowish white. Her eyes shone brighter than usual as well. And her presence seemed more I dont know how to say it Spiritual? Holy? I guess she passed the test I cant really reject her anymore, she really worked hard for it. ----- So This Is The End… PancakesWitch ----- Woah, woah, hold up for a second. Whos this holy elf right here? Maria, how do I look? Am I strong enough to be worthy of being at your side? She asked, as she held my hands tightly and looked into my eyes. She was so radiant that my dark composition began to tremble a bit. I think she is damaging by just touching my hands now. It was small, and I could heal myself easily, but it was a bit well, not even painful, but it tired me and made me a bit fuzzy. Uggh I feel like I am being exorcized by so much holy light. I dropped onto the ground, exhausted. Emeraldine suddenly changed her facial expression into that of concern and surprise. U-Uwah! M-Maria, are you alright?! She asked, getting closer to me. I am fine. I just feel a bit dizzy. Your holy light aura is strong, I sighed. L-Let me heal you! She said, pointing her hands at me as she conjured healing light magic. GYAAAH! WAIT! FLASH! The holy light began to touch my body, and I started to dissipate. My HP was dropping like crazy too! I was fragile to holy light! Holy shit! Ahh So this is my end It was a fun journey, everyone. I smiled at everyone. I guess this was the end of my journey. It was filled with hardships, but I guess I had my fun. I suppose this is it Perhaps the purification had cleansed my mind from the negative thoughts. I feel so in peace with myself. I think I am going to heaven Partner, make sure to take care of Kuro and Lucifer for me. WAIT! Cried Partner. W-What the heck is going on?! Asked Lucifer. MRAO! Cried Kuro. Uwawawawahh! Maria, I am sorry! Emeraldine apologized profusely as she began to cry. Dont be sorry This is for the better I think I can finally rest Take good care of everything, alright? I am counting on you. NO! Please dont die! Shut up that stupid elf already! Just keep pouring death mana into her Maria, cant you heal yourself?! Roared Lucifer as he, Partner, and Kuro began to shower me with their phantasmal auras. I began to slowly feel better. EH? What was happening just now? I asked. I feel confused You almost died! Damn Elf! I hate you! Roared Partner, hitting Emeraldine in the head. Ouch! I am sorry I deserve this punishment! *Sniff*. Cried Emeraldine. You dork, you almost died in the most anti-climactic way possible, Said Lucifer. Mrao! Said Kuro, adding a lot to the conversation. Is that so? Haha I guess the holy light made me dizzy indeed. It was like one of those nice drugs that you know it can kill you, but you still take them because it makes you feel so nice, I muttered. How can you compare holy light that literally exorcises you with weed?! Asked Lucifer. HEY! You know weed? I asked. Well, of course, we dragons used to enjoy a series of special herbs to pass the time of our millenary lives and- T-Thats not the point! Damn, now I want to meet with some dragons and smoke some weed, This conversation is spiraling into a topic I dont feel comfortable speaking about, Emeraldine suddenly kneeled before me and began to supplicate me to forgive her. Sorry! I am so sorry, Maria! I-I didnt realize healing magic damages Undead And I didnt realize that my Holy Light Aura was automatically activated I-I already deactivated it. She continued to cry. Oh! Thats good then. It was mostly my fault for not realizing sooner, I said. N-No, I cannot easily be forgiven Please punish me, Cried Emeraldine as she looked at me with a perverted look. O-Oi, what is she thinking? I can punish her for you, Master Partner came walking in, while carrying her spear. W-Wait a second, thats not good, shes not an Undead, you cant be too rough on her! Dont worry you can always make her a zombie elf, Said Partner, readying her spear. I managed to take the spear away from her and ended this discussion as quickly as possible before it were to turn annoying. I forgave Emeraldine and decided to just tell her to be more mindful of her abilities. As they ended up being the opposite of me, she could damage me badly if she got a close shot on me. I am particularly weaker to this element because I am a ghost of darkness and death; unlike zombies, I dont have a physical body to shield me, so I receive even more damage. The [Holy Light Aura] was a spell she gained after her recent evolution I checked her status while she was apologizing, and it looked like this: [Name: [Emeraldine] [Race: [High Spiritual Light Elf] [Job: [Spiritual Archer] [Level: [1/50] [Rank: [C+] [Status: [Evolved] [HP: [620/620] [MP: [2100/2100] [Attack: [750] [Defense: [220] [Magic: [1700] [Agility: [1026] Characteristic Skills: [Nature Element: Lv--] [Holy Light Element: Lv--] [Royal Elven Lineage: Lv--] [Beloved by Spirits: Lv--] [Elven Language: Lv--] [Charming Beauty: Lv3] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Resistance: Lv4] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv3] [Light Resistance: Lv3] [Darkness Resistance: Lv3] [Fear Resistance: Lv4] [Hunger Resistance: Lv5] Normal Skills: [Foraging: Lv7] [Archery: Lv8] [Hunting: Lv6] [Alchemy: Lv4] [Cooking: Lv6] [Agriculture: Lv5] [Dismantling: Lv6] [Spirit Summon: Lv6] [Holy Healing Light: Lv4] [Druid: Lv4] [Entangling Vines: Lv4] [Hard Wood Bark: Lv3] [Holy Light Aura: Lv1] [Regenerating Light: Lv1] [Flashing Light Beam: Lv1] Title Skills: [Huntress: Lv4] [Spirit Mediator: Lv3] [Forager: Lv3] [Priestess: Lv1] Damn, she looks mighty fine with those stats and skills. She has such a different build from all of us. Demi-humans are truly varied and unique in this aspect. I cant help but admit it! She has so much light-related stuff And her Mana and Magic are abnormally high. Shes talented at archery too, and she has a high level of cooking as well. Shes pretty good for our team, and she can adapt to any terrain as well. I guess we welcome you as a new party member! R-Really? Oh, Maria, I am so happy! Emeraldine hugged me tightly as I pet her head. You worked pretty hard, dear. ----- Moving Forward At Full Speed! PancakesWitch ----- Today in the morning, after the incident with Emeraldine, we had breakfast with the goblins and the rest of the people. The majority had already begun to recover and had been joining the goblins with hunting and fishing, while others had started to use alchemy to help the goblins create potions using herbs and monster blood. The remaining even worked on enhancing clothes and such. However, there is still a large group that is gradually leaving the place. Some just simply wanted to go back home, so we couldnt stop them, but I made them swear an oath not to say anything regarding us, and to make it better, it was through a curse etched into their very souls. If they speak about me or anything that has happened here, theyll die. As simple as that. Its their choice if they want to live or not, just dont go talking about shit no one cares about, and youll be finethat kind of deal. After scouting, hunting, and foraging the entire area for a week, we were kind of ready to depart. Oh man, we spent just half a month here, but we made some excellent memories The people here were so nice, and it completely changed my perspective of what my original world used to depict goblins as. I guess theyre just good and honest people trying to survive in this harsh world. I dont know why I am getting so heroic all of a sudden, but if it is within my power, I want to give them the home they deserve. So I will come back here eventually, and I will bring them all with me so we can live together in a place where no one will come to annoy us. At that point, the story will give a dramatic shift, and it will become a slice of life! Uwah, I cant wait But for now, we are in survival and action, so I cant lower my guard nor slow my pace. Most things are packed up, and most things have been taken care of Oh right, Lucifer evolved I forgot to talk about him. Changes? Not many; he just got a bit darker in scale color when he transforms into a dragon. His horn became bigger though, and I believe his wings are more repaired and could possibly fly if he puts in the effort. But hes still a chunky guy as a dragon, so I doubt this lazy ass can flap his wings. Nonetheless, Lucifer is an important ally, and I already consider him my good friend. Despite his aggressive and often annoying personality, thats because hes tsundere, deep down, hes very soft and gentle, and he shows it primarily with the goblins whenever we are not around. Ive spied on him a couple of times He even let the children play on his dragon body, and he enjoys being gentle with the goblins, helping them hunt or even farm. He even shared his scales with them so they could make strong dragon scale armor. So hes a nice guy that covers his gentle core in a rugged and cold shell. I guess you cant blame him after all the shit he has gone through I would probably be the same I guess we all have shells. Mine is that of a dork. Perhaps that way, I can find some joy in this new life... Hm, we are getting too off track. Nobody likes the boring monologs of a big pathetic loser like me. Alright! Here are his stats: [Name: [Lucifer] [Race: [Dark Dracolich Chimera] [Level: [1/50] [Rank: [C+] [Status: [Secretly Sorrowful] [HP: [2400/2400] [MP: [940/940] [Attack: [1550] [Defense: [1215] [Magic: [850] [Agility: [920] Characteristic Skills: [Undead: Lv--] [Dragon: Lv--] [Chimera: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fire Element: Lv--] [Artificial Elemental Cores: Lv--] [Morph: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv4] [Shapeshift: Lv4] [Self-Regeneration: Lv5] [Flesh Consumption: Lv4] [Hardened Dragon Scales: Lv4] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Physical Damage Resistance: Lv4] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv4] [Elemental Damage Resistance: Lv3] Normal Skills: [Life Drain: Lv5] [Phantasmal Flames Breath: Lv6] [Phantom Claws: Lv5] [Fireball: Lv4] [Dark Sphere: Lv4] [Mana Mastery: Lv4] [Intimidating Aura: Lv6] [Dark Shadow Spear: Lv1] [Venomous Dragon Scale Powder: Lv1] Title Skills: [Servant of the Dark Witch: Lv--] [Fallen Dragon: Lv--] [Protector of Goblins: Lv1] He got pretty strong! Look at those stats, holy shit. He truly became the tank he said he would be. And to boot, he got all his skills leveled up quite nicely as well. Additionally, he got two new skills. He can create a giant shadow spear to throw at an enemy or use as a weapon in his humanoid form, and also generate a scale powder by flapping his dragon wings, which is venomous and can cause paralysis. Also, he got an adorable Title Protector of Goblins, which says a lot about what he had been doing lately, hehe. None of us got this Title, so he had done way more than I did to get it! Grr, now I am a bit jealous. Maybe he could become a decent King too. He seems old, wise, and more serious than me. Perhaps I could let him govern them in the future while I work in the shadows Or not? Who cares anyway. Auntie Maria, are you really leaving? You dont like living with us? Gofumin approached me as she tried to contain her tears. No dearie, I have to get going because I have a very important mission to accomplish I told you I would come back in due time Until then, you have to be strong and train with your papa, alright? I will be back in no time, so I want to see you all strong by then! I encouraged her. Oohh A-Alright! I will train hard like Emeraldine! Said Gofumin. Thats the spirit! I said, petting her head and kissing her forehead. Take care, Auntie, I want to kiss you too! She said. Oh? F-Fine then She cutely kissed my nose from all places, and I couldnt contain myself as I petted her silky hair while caressing her cute and long goblin ears. Thanks for everything, Said the goblin chief. No problem, chief, well be right back, so for now, hold down the fort, Very well, well be waiting for you then! We walked down the road once more as we waved our hands at the collection of monsters. Ive left a lot of Undead with them, which will guard them and protect them from anything that could possibly be life-threatening In the worst-case scenario, they can also be used as mounts and will carry them away at a fast speed too, so if things get bad, they can escape and relocate elsewhere safely with the bone beasts and the zombies. Of course, they wont go crazy just because I am not there. Wherever they are, my undead will always be loyal to me and will obey me, so I am confident that things will be alright I hope. The thing I fear the most is someone chasing us down from somewhere, so I better get out of here before they find our footsteps near this village or something. The farther away we go, the better it is for the goblins so they dont get caught in whatever might happen to us. Its for the best And here we go, moving on. Our next stop is The Duchy of Benettina! ----- Bloodthirsty Cinnamon Roll PancakesWitch ----- It has been a whole week since we left the goblin village, and I already miss them all *Sigh* We crossed the grasslands on our loyal steed, Kuro, and after around four days, we reached a dense forest named the Evergreen Forest, which is surrounded by two mountains. The duchy where we are moving towards is in between these two mountains. It seems that there are big mining agencies extracting magical metals from it, such as mithril and the like, which is the primary source of income for the duchy of Benettina. This forest seems to be a mildly dangerous one. But, It has a road where merchants cross, which are often aided by adventurers or mercenaries. And this forest is mildly dangerous because, although deadly monsters roam around, it is often cleansed by the adventurers themselves, who come here to slay monsters for their magic crystals and corpses to sell. I mean, thats what adventurers do; theyre glorified hunters. In addition to the Mithril Mines and the Spirit Stones Mines, Benettina has two dungeons on each side of the forest, separated by the road I mentioned earlier. Both dungeons are around D-Rank, nothing too special, and we wont get much EXP out of them either, so I am not interested in dungeon-diving especially because it becomes boring after the first experience unless it is a very high-level dungeon where it is a better challenge. We have been traveling for about three days without stopping. Although we Undead didnt feel physically tired, we needed to take a break to calm our minds as we have exhaustion and stress from time to time. Plus, Emeraldine was barely hanging out. I thought she would resist it better, but not sleeping for three days made her look exhausted Which she most likely was. Before moving forward into the deeper parts of the forest, we decided to make a camp and pass the night there. Hahh What a relief. Sighed Emeraldine as she rested on my shoulder. You should go sleep after we finish eating. We cant have you falling asleep as we advance through the forest, alright? I asked. Yesshh Zzzz And she fell asleep. She had already finished her plate of boar stew, so I guess she was good to go. I held her with my arms and put her in the tent, covering her with bedsheets, turning her into a cute burrito. She was sleeping with a relaxed look Master, I want more! Partner quickly averts my attention from Emeraldine as she asks for more stew. Alright Though, dont you need blood? I asked her. Monster blood is fine, She said while nodding. I guess? What do you think, Lucifer? My blood is rotten, so I cant give her fresh dragon blood Ummmm You dont have blood, to begin with but Emeraldine could become our source of blood for Partner, Said Lucifer, as he smiled maliciously at the innocent elf sleeping in the tent. Eh?! Hmmm Fresh elf blood. Partner had begun to look at Emeraldine differently. Shes too holy for that. Shell burn your tongue! I said, stopping her and grabbing her from the belly. Gehh I want some blood now. She said teasingly. Come on, dont assault her, or Ill get mad, Buhh Partner pouted as she sat down again. I want you two to get along, alright? You and Lucifer are already good friends, so Emeraldine has to get along with you too. In fact, Lucifer has already accepted her! I said. I just dont care, Said Lucifer. See? Wait, what? I dont care, Lucifer repeated himself. You dont care about anything? What are you? A Nihilist? I sighed. You could say that, Said Lucifer pridefully. Being a nihilist is nothing to be proud of! Right, right, whatever you say, guardian of the goblins-san, I laughed. T-That title is false! I am no such thing, Lucifer tried to refute. We ignored Lucifer''s ramblings and enjoyed a wild boar steak. Monsters had barely appeared through our travel as the grass plains are mostly freed from them. Theyre often quite rare around there due to there being such open spaces. Monsters prefer places where they can hide and not reveal themselves as easily. However, now that we are in this accursed forest, we must expect monsters at any time! So we cant lower our guards. Kuro is watching most of the time, but I decided to make some extra backup Undead to watch our backs an additional time. I made two Netherworld Beasts with the materials of the Necromancer, which were both at C-Rank. Of course, they were weaker than us but combined, they made up for two decent extra fighters. Additionally, I raised a scouting Undead through a method named Contract Summon. I summoned an Undead Crow Familiar by using a crow we hunted by accident, thinking it was a fattier and tastier bird, and some of the scriptures, rune incantations, and a magic circle I made up on the go thanks to the knowledge I acquired by eating the soul of the necromancer. These three new friends have yet to get any name, but Ill keep it simple for now. Ill call them Bone Beast Alpha and Omega, and the Crow shall be named Raven. Oh my, I am such a good, fantastic user of naming! I was thinking that with enough preparations I could raise a bigger army of Undead, but I dont see any point in slaughtering a whole city. I guess theres the EXP, but I would feel bad by killing innocents that had nothing to do with all of this. At most, I could strategically use my Undead by summoning them in certain areas with soldiers to distract them or outright kill them But soldiers are different, theyre ready to fight and are paid to protect a place, so theyre willing to die fighting. However, I intend my work to be stealthy, so I will sneak into the duchy whenever we reach there and then look for clues as to where I could find the pigs I must kill. With that said and done, the night flew by, and the morning quickly came. ----- I Love My Reanimated Corpses (Pets)! PancakesWitch ----- Today, early in the morning, I checked my stats I had not leveled up once since the Necromancer. Dont blame me! I have barely found anything worth the EXP. But at least Ive been steadily developing and practicing my abilities. And I even managed to get a few new Skills, level up most of my Skills at least once, and even get some new talents. Plus, dont forget the Staff I got from him. Its the one I keep equipped the most due to the Mana bonus it offers, which is stupendous And well, the magic bonus is great as well. Here are my stats for reference: [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Pandora] [Level: [13/40] [EXP: 17806/24000] [Rank: [C+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [1020/1020] [MP: [4700/4700]{+2720} [Attack: [560]{+100} [Defense: [430] [Magic: [4300]{+2617} [Agility: [1250]{+575} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv6] [Shadow Sneak: Lv7] [Abyssal Body: Lv4] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv7] [Darkness Resistance: Lv6] [Fear Resistance: Lv5] [Elemental Resistance: Lv4] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv7] [Lesser Curse: Lv7] [Life Drain: Lv7] [Possession: Lv6] [Dark Sphere: Lv8] [Dark Gale: Lv7] [Shadow Spear Arrow: Lv5] [Materialized Shadow Barrier: Lv1] (New!) [Shadow Manipulation: Lv6] [Shadow Storage: Lv5] [Undead Healing: Lv4] [Fake Life: Lv6] [Erase Presence: Lv3] [Soul Eater: Lv3] [Stealth: Lv7] [Summon: Lv3] [Aura of Famine: Lv2] [Disease and Poison Creation: Lv2] [Pandoras Box: Lv2] [Materialization: Lv4] [Cooking: Lv1] (New!) [Hunting: Lv1] (New!) [Blade Slash: Lv1] (New!) Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Dungeon Conqueror: Lv--] [Big Game Slayer: Lv--] [Taboo Mark: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv5] [Undead Queen: Lv4] [Evil of the World: Lv2] [Pickpocket: Lv2] [Apprentice Swordsman: Lv1] (New!) Divine Protections: [Hels Divine Protection] Equipment: [Weapon: [Deadly Necrolord Staff: Lv10 (B-Grade)] +2500 MP +2500 Magic +100 Attack +500 Agility +200 Dark & Death Damage Oh right, Ive been unlocking my inner potential with the blade too. Although I only use it when I am about to kill something to gain Sword Proficiency, as I keep the staff equipped because it expands my mana pool by quite a lot. The staff is fantastic worthy of being a piece of B-Grade equipment at Level 10. It means the guy put a lot of dedication to the point that the weapon itself leveled up all the way to Level 10 by constantly upgrading it with materials and a blacksmith. All types of equipment have Levels, which increase when you upgrade them with a Blacksmith''s help and use materials as the surplus to trigger the level up. Theres also a chance it might fail, in which case the weapon might risk being destroyed in the process which is why you gotta find good blacksmiths. But this one already went through that painful process, so it is maxed! I will probably use it for the next 500+ chapters of my life. Hahaha! Anyways, after a week of using the Demon Blade, I gained [Blade Slash] and then [Apprentice Swordsman] as skills. Both are enhanced by my ability to use the cursed blade, which is somewhat alive as it has evil spirits inside, the same as this staff. Usually, people who were not allowed to wield them would be immediately attacked and cursed. And that is what happened back then, but I just was like immune to their feeble curses and ended taming the spirits using Undead Queen, so I Uno Reverse Carded them. Oh right, after a bit of practice, I had also acquired the [Materialized Shadow Barrier: Lv1] Skill, which is the powerful and intricate conjuration of a wall made of shadows that I can bend to my will. But, it cannot only be used to protect, but I can just launch it at an enemy in stacks and crush them with the weight of actual brick walls made of materialized shadow magic. With these new Skills and my improved stats, I feel pretty prepared for any challenge, as long as it is manageable. I glanced at my other secondary weapon, which I switched around with the staff, the Demon Blade. [Spectral Accursed Demon Blade: Lv4 (B-Grade)] +1000 MP +1000 Magic +2400 Attack +640 Agility +140 Dark & Death Damage It might not be as good magically, but it shines with that +2400 attack! Oh baby, that looks sweet. I use it to slashy slash and stabby stab anything in my way. Giant Wild Boars died with a single slash as they were sliced in half. Mind you; these creatures are often up to three-meters-tall Unless a Hero-level guy shows up, I am pretty confident. And even if a dangerous enemy shows up, I can always hide in the shadows and escape as fast as possible while saving everyone inside my Shadow Storage so that is my backup escape plan there. But due to this very reason, I dont want to cause a commotion that might arise the emergence of a hero I cannot handle to come slay me. Because of that, stealthy and sneaky assassin creed-style assassinations are necessary Although the latest games were not even about classic assassins But anyway, its kind of like that. If I can just get in, kill the guys I want to kill, feel some joy from it, get some info, then that would be ideal. Storming the entire city while laughing everywhere is bound to bring a Yuusha-sama (Hero) to kill me. Fwahh It was a good sleep I feel refreshed, Said Emeraldine, smiling cutely at me. Burrito, I said. Huh? She noticed she was wrapped like a little silkworm. Ungh I cant get out help Maria She cried out as she began to move like a worm Calm down I sighed. Shes awake at last? Then lets get going. I crave more books to read. These ones had been emptied My mind craves more knowledge and fiction! Lucifer complained. He had been reading all the books I got from the bookstore to pass the time I want to have fun. Can we enter the city like normal people? Asked Partner. Hmm Maybe? I guess we could pretend. Yeah, maybe getting around while suppressing my dark aura? I want to go to the bathroom first. Sighed Emeraldine. Ugh, the living and their bathroom problems. Who can understand them? Maria, theres a giant Undead Crow glaring at me! Emeraldine cried out. Thats Raven. Hes a friend. He scouts for us, so dont worry, hes just watching over you, I said. B-But my privacy! Privacy or safety? Your choice I said. Privacy! Fine Raven, come here. CRAA! A giant one-meter-tall Undead Crow flew towards me, and I began to caress his fluffy belly. Whos the cutest birb? Craaa! Yes, you are! Craaa~ Raven likes me to caress below his chin too. Hes such a cutie. Mrao Kuro suddenly gets jealous. I have not forgotten about you. I sighed, as I caressed his big head, and he licked my face. Craaa! Ah, you too~ Of course! Hehehe Petting cute animals is the best I never thought I would have such cute pets in this life. Well, theyre reanimated corpses But still! ----- The Mysterious Twins PancakesWitch ----- Within the vast Evergreen Forest, a pair of young kids ran barefoot. Their bodies were covered in scars, and they were only wearing tatters. They were both pale white, and their eyes glowed with different colors. Their hair was also of different colors, with each one having different colored patches that were unmatched and seemed random as if artificially made that way. And on their faces, they had strange runic tattoos and both with one large spiraling black horn, each one on the opposite side of the others head. There was a large black and red jewel on their chests, spreading an accursed essence into their bodies, fueling their strength to run away. However, despite how bizarre they looked, they were not monstrous. Their eyes were filled with fear and desperation, their teeth grit, their feet covered in dirt and wounds, and they seemed exhausted. Hahh Hahhh I am tired The little boy began to gasp for air as he almost fell onto his knees on the ground. The girl quickly caught him and looked him in the eyes. We have to go, Takeshi! You cant rest! But I dont think I can keep going, Laura. No D-Dont give up! We can escape We are so close! My body it hurts all over. CRAAA! Suddenly, the girl was startled by the sound of a raven in the distance, flying upwards and circling them both. Huh? CRAA! The raven then flew away. ARRROOOOO! Suddenly, the two heard the voice of the accursed abomination that had been following them ever since they escaped the laboratory I-Its here! Cried the boy. It cant be I am sure that he fell off that cliff! H-How?! Cried the girl. Hes a monster he was made like us but hes made to chase others. The boy muttered before glancing back at the girl. Takeshi, come on! Laura, the girl, grabbed Takeshi, the boy, with her hands, and began to pull him, making him rest on her back as she tightly grabbed his ankles. L-Laura stop Let me stay here I can buy you some time Muttered the boy. No! I-I told you that we were going to get out together! She shouted in response. Laura The little girl grit her teeth as her crimson-red eye, and her yellowish-gold eye suddenly shone with bright lights. The strange jewel in her chest filled her with the last remnants of energy as her little legs began to run through the mud and on the hard rocks of the forest floor. AARRGR! However, she heard the accursed creatures bark once more. Its enormous razor-sharp teeth began to crackle menacingly as it got closer. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as the boy was barely hanging on with his consciousness, on the brink of falling unconscious I wont I wont let them catch me again! Thought the girl. GRRAAARR! However, the monstrous creature detected them at long last. It leaped towards the pair with incredible speed and accuracy. Its body was enhanced by its mana, and then, it suddenly appeared right before the duo. CLASH! Gyyaaah! The girl lost her balance due to the surprise, as she fell onto a puddle of mud, the boy barely being able to see what was happening. The monstrous creature looked at the two with its wolf skull head and two glowing red eyes in each socket. Its body was like that of a wolf and covered in dark fur, but it had multiple tails, each one having the head of a different-colored snake. They even hissed at the two! Ggrrrr! The wolf-like chimera slowly began to move towards the girl cautiously as it had a good reason. G-Get away from us!!! The girl cried loudly as she pointed her tiny hands at the monster. A sudden burst of black electricity came out, clashing with the wolfs face! CLASH! GRAARR! The wolf, however, remained almost untouched. The power she had was too weak now that she had barely any energy GRAA! The creature moved further as a mass of purple slime suddenly came out from below its belly, extending viciously towards the girl. Aggh! Suddenly, a man''s voice came out of the wolf chimeras head, which had a strange artifact in it resembling a black box the size of a peanut. Kuahaha! I finally found you two, little ones! I cannot possibly lose you from my grasp! This will be the last time youll escape from me! Ill make sure to cut your limbs one by one, so you wont be able to run away ever again. No! Leave us alone! I cant! Youre important for my research, after all. I must work to please my master. And well, also to please my endless craving for knowledge and research. Blob! The purple slime extended its tentacles as it wrapped itself around the girls body and her tiny limbs began to be slowly pulled! I am sorry I am sorry Muttered the slime with the voice of an agonizing man. Nooo! Please stop!!! I am sorryyyyyyyyy!!! GRRYYAAAGGGH! SPLAT! Huh? While thinking that the girls limbs were going to be pulled out horrendously, she suddenly felt like the grip of the slimes tentacles loosened around her limbs as she fell onto the mud again. She glanced at the ground and saw the slime splattered across the mud, with a large dragon sitting atop its remaining pieces. E-Ehh?! The dragon was dark-scaled and looked menacing. Maria! Did you have to throw me like a ball here?! He roared. Sorry! I was testing my Shadow Catapult! It is pretty fun, but goddamn, it drains MP like crazy, The voice of a mischievous woman resonated across the forest as a mass of shadows wrapped itself around the wolf chimera before it was to take the boy away! AWROOO! And from the shadows, a beautiful yet lugubrious-looking woman came out. What do we have here Oh! These are kids?! She exclaimed as several figures jumped out of her shadows, including a beautiful blonde elf. Are you okay? Oh dear, look at your wounds Ill heal you right away! Eh? The girl was left completely dumbfounded. ----- What The Hell Is Going On…?! PancakesWitch ----- When Emeraldine finished her bathroom and we had breakfast, we quickly marched into the forest at a high speed. We had to quickly cross this boring forest and get to the duchy. We already planned that we were going to pretend to be goody-two-shoe normies for a change of pace. Partner wanted to see a city without lurking at night, and I agreed with her. We should also do it in order to gain more knowledge about this worlds society and how everything is structured. We wont spend our entire lifetimes there, or something, just a one-day or two-day trip around, and thats it. Mostly, I just want to see if they got any restaurants or food stalls to eat the endemic food of this world that is not just stew or grilled meat. I dont even feel hunger, but I am still gluttonous because eating is fun, I have to admit it, so I want to see if there is any noodles, rice, or something. Hell, even freshly baked bread, cheese, and ham is fine. As we walked through the forest at a moderate speed, I sent Raven to go look for anything ahead, and if he finds something, hell rush back and alert us. Look, Maria-sama, a mushroom, Emeraldine saw a small family of mushrooms growing in the roots of a tree, and I used [Analyze] on them. [Para-Para Mushroom (Quality: C+ Grade)] Yellow-colored mushrooms which drain nutrients from the roots of trees causing the trees to stop making fruits. Theyre specially delicious when fried but need to be well cooked; otherwise, their paralyzing poison might remain within them. An item that can be used in Alchemy to make Paralyzing Poison, Paralyzing Poison Antidote, and more. [Yumi Mushroom (Quality: D Grade)] Purple-colored mushrooms with white stripes. They are poisonous and deadly and shouldnt be consumed by any means. They can be dried and then fermented into a strong poisonous toxin that is often coated in weapons. It can also make for a great disinfectant due to the dissolving effects of the poison extraction. [Gaparumu Mushroom (Quality: F Grade)] A small Living Mushroom that is yet to become a Mushroom Monster. At this stage, it cannot move, and it drains nutrients from the soil and the roots of trees. It is considered a cheap delicacy before becoming an adult. This is because the mushroom has yet to produce poisonous spores and can be safely eaten after being cooked. Wow, it feels like I am playing an Atelier game. Hmm, these ones are tasty, Said Emeraldine as she looked at them. You know a lot about this stuff. It must be the [Foraging] Skill, right? Indeed, it built up after I lived around the forests for some time. You see Sometimes I didnt have enough money to buy food, so I just gathered what nature could offer Haha She chuckled. Make sure not to eat the purple one though. That one could kill you, I said. Eh?! Is it? I thought it was edible. It looks just like the ones I used to eat. She said. Maybe it is similar, but it is not the same. See? I just saved your life there- Eh? CRAA! Raven suddenly came flying at us rapidly before landing on the ground. It looked at me as its soul connected to me through a phantasmal force, and I saw what it saw, two very weird kids running away from a giant wolf chimera thingy. Oh boy, what the heck? Hahhhh Alright, time to play hero once more. Not that I dislike it That wolf looks like a good sack of EXP anyways. We need to get there quickly though Hmm I looked at Lucifer, who was silently looking at me. What? Hmmm Wait! This you cant do this! Lucifer cried as he was being placed on a large catapult I made using [Shadow Manipulation] and [Materialization]. The catapult itself was also my own body which I shapeshifted. I am pretty amazing, arent I? It was very rough, but it should be able to launch something very fast, very quickly. Plus, it only took 30 seconds to make. Thank you, thank you I am a genius, I know. Hold on! He cried out. Calm down, turn into a dragon, and youll be fine, I said. WAIT! And there you go! Ill never forget thisssss! He shouted, his voice trailing off the farther he went. BOOOMMM!!! And he was sent through the skies. SPLASH! Oh, it seems like he hit something. Sweet. I quickly expanded my shadows and let everyone inside, FLAAAAASSSH! Maria! Did you have to throw me like a ball here?! I heard Lucifer roar at me, which I answered quite calmly. Sorry! I was testing my Shadow Catapult! It is pretty fun, but goddamn, it drains MP like crazy, I flew towards the direction that Raven was pointing me at as the first thing I found was an ugly wolf wearing a skull on its face, trying to munch on a little unconscious boy. Come here, EXP bag! WAARGH?! I expanded my shadows into tentacles and wrapped them around his limbs, pulling him off of the ground and hitting its body against the mud several times. CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! AWRROOO! It cried in agony. What do we have here Oh! These are kids?! I let everyone outside, and Emeraldine noticed the girl that Lucifer had just saved. He fell onto a big purple slime that was doing something pretty weird to her Lets not go into any further details. This is not an R-18 story, ladies and gentlemen. Are you okay? Oh dear, look at your wounds Ill heal you right away! Emeraldine said, as she ran towards the girl in the ground, who was trembling as if she had gone through a horrifying experience. And suddenly, the wolf chimera began to scream angrily with me from within a black box covering its head. W-Who are you?! How dare you interrupt my hunt! You thieves! Dont you dare take away my items from me! He shouted. Items? Are you calling two little kids as items? And who the heck are you? I dont even know you, I would say the same! ----- Saving Two Little Guinea Pigs Lost In The Woods PancakesWitch ----- Okay, hold on for a second, I am a slow woman, so I have to process whats going on. We were leisurely going around the forest, and then my Raven found out that there were two kids running away from a giant wolf chimera thing. This wolf chimera thing intends to capture them with a purple slime that comes out of its open stomach?! What?! Then, I became a catapult and sent Lucifer away to the rescue. He managed to splatter the entire slime against the ground just as I had totally predicted (I didnt). Now, as Ive captured the wolf chimera thing, theres a little black box in it speaking to me. Okay, fine, sorry about that, buddy. Ill bring you back the kids. Where do you live? I asked. Phew Youre such a good person. It is tough to find people as decent as you- Hold on a second! I wont fall for that! You want to know where I live! Damn it. No! I just want to bring them back to you, man. I know how hard it is to find your kids when they get lost. Especially when theyre these chimera kids, I said. I am not falling for that! Who do you think I am?! Then we are breaking negotiations, little man, I said. I am not little! I am just a halfling! I see, a halfling. Ah! S-Shit Anything else to tell me? We can go on a date if you have the right eye color, Stop messing with me! Okay then, bye-bye~, W-Wait! What are you doing- CRASH! I crushed the black box because his old man voice was very annoying to my phantasmal ears. GRAAAWRR! Suddenly, the wolf chimera freed itself from my shadow entanglement and began to slash at me with all its strength! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Ouch! I ended up losing over half my HP with three of his attacks which were faster than I could even react to. Damn! This thing is fast as heck! I quickly conjured a Shadow Wall, but not for me it was for him! CLASH! The entire shadow wall fell onto it and pressed it down against the ground. Again! Again! Again! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! Three shadow walls were consecutively conjured as they stacked over the poor chimera thing, which was barking monstrously at me. It even opened its jaws and released a poisonous gas, but I was totally immune to it. Youre pretty pathetic now, huh? Little pupper? How about it, wanna join me? I asked. GRAAWRRRAAARRR! Oof, hes definitely not going to become my puppy, I guess. Wait, is this thing even alive? It has the head of a skull, but it has a beating heart and blood. It is even kind of warm, so it is definitely alive but it also has a skull as its head. It''s quite creepy. It is as if it were a living organism stitched together. So, what do you do for a living? GRAAAR! I see, being a dog Understandable, I looked towards Lucifer and saw he was beating the slime to a pulp, but even as pulp, the thing was still somewhat alive. It lacked a core like other slimes, so it was a mystery on how to kill it, but after checking its status, I saw its HP was slowly going down with each hit it received. After that, I noticed Emeraldine healing the two kids. The stars of this little show were two very strange kids. They looked human in appearance but had black horns, and their hair color was multi-color, like, they had different patches of color, which made them look a bit weird. The boy had red, black, and white hair, and the girl was brown, blonde, and orange. I asked Kuro and Partner to slowly chip down the wolf chimera as I went to check on the kids. Who are you guys? I asked. Ah! Maria-sama, they were very wounded Theyre so young and they were chased down by monsters what could this all be about? wondered Emeraldine. Hmm I dont know. Thats why I asked them, I said as I kneeled and looked them in the eyes. Ungh W-We we are experiments. Said the girl. Huh? Guinea pigs we were being used since children since babies. She continued. What? By who? For what purpose? W-We dont know. Hmm This is iffy. We might be jumping down a dangerous rabbit hole. Do you know where you two came from? I asked. I I think I might remember the way back, She said. I see Well, for now, you two should rest- Oh, shes asleep, The girl fell asleep in Emeraldines embrace. Theyre very tired. Please, Maria-sama, dont ask them any questions for now. Fine, let them rest- Ah, we should clean them and give them proper clothes which we dont have, I sighed. Oi, Maria, this thing keeps saying that hes sorry all the time, Said Lucifer. Huh? I walked towards Lucifer and found out that the giant purple slime was about to die. I am sorry I am sorry Sorryyyyyyy Ive never seen a slime that can speak! Shouted Emeraldine, dumbfounded. Well, theres a first time for everything, I said. How odd, I can feel within its soul that it has memories Is this thing a chimera? Perhaps the results of necromancy of some sort It has the soul of someone else inside, Lucifer muttered. How tragic I sighed as I created a shadow spear and ended its misery. SPLAT! Guegh Did you have to do that?! Asked Lucifer. Yeah, it was suffering, so I put him out of his misery, I said, grabbing the slimes soul and inspecting it. It resembled the faint figure of a man. I am sorry I am sorry. Can you stop being sorry? I asked. Aghhh! Aaaahhh! AAAGGH! I guess he cant. Emeraldine, purify him for me. I sighed. Exorcising, FLASH! Emeraldine conjured her magic, and the soul was cleansed of miasma before ascending somewhere. It even seemed to have sighed in relief. Well, thats that Lets continue for now. It would be nice to get to town so we can find proper beds for the kids. Also clothes, and probably something for their scars, I said. ----- Everyone Had Their Fill! PancakesWitch ----- We walked through the forest, following Partner and Kuro, after I finished off the wolf chimera easily by showering it in holes and crushing the large jewel it had on its chest. With that, and the EXP of the Slime, alongside a swarm of black bats we meet along the way, I gained enough EXP to level up. Ding! [Calculating EXP gained] [You gained 56000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 13 to Level 14!] [Your Level has increased from Level 14 to Level 15!] [EXP: 23806/28000] The black bats were the size of dogs, and they were all deadly looking. I dont know how folks dealt with them, but we slaughtered the 12 we found and each one gave a little EXP. They were named Frenzy Bats, and they were D- Rank monsters with poisonous fangs and claws. We saved the corpses inside my inventory after killing them, and then, after a trip of around four hours, we finally found the towns gate. Time for some infiltration We also saved the sleeping kids inside my shadow storage alongside Kuro, and then we made our way into the line, waiting to enter. There were mostly common folk, but there were some people with carriages, most likely merchants. We looked mostly fine, just an odd group of very pale fellows. Lucifer had shapeshifted his body, so he had no horns or anything weird with him, and I made sure to make the color of my skin as less pale as I could, though I still looked quite albino. At least our clothes were pretty, so we didnt look like homeless people or something. I suppressed my auras of course, and it was proven that I didnt kill anyone by merely existing when we got into the waiting line. Phew, things are going fine. A few people began to gather behind us as more reached the place through the main roads. There were some young folk from nearby villages and even some shady-looking mercenaries. Also, there were two other merchant carriages. Do you know what would be super clich now? That those shady-looking guys noticed us and tried to do something to us. Hey, beauty Wow, what a cutie. Look at that elf. Suddenly, my reader prediction capabilities kicked in, and it happened. They were three ugly-ass old men littered with scars. One of them had an eyepatch and looked like a discount pirate without the fancy pirate clothes. Please go away, I said. Huh? Come on, dont be like that! How about we go to a tavern after we reach town? Look, you three and us three, we match perfectly, Said the bigger of the three. He had several missing teeth, and he is about to lose a few more. Sounds like a good invitation Do you buy the drinks and food? I asked. Huh? S-Sure My bro! Then we are going! Do you have some more money as well? I asked. B-Bro? Uh, yeah Stuttered the guy. Give me some, please. We are lacking in the financial department, so we cant really pass the gate *Sigh* it''s hard to be a damsel, I sighed. Ooh S-Sure! The guy was surprisingly nice, most likely because he thought he would get some nice sex as a reward laterPfff, what a loser. Lucifer, Partner, and Emeraldine stayed looking at me in disbelief. What? Come on! Be nicer with our bros. Theyre buying the food and drinks, I said with a bright smile. Hehe The guy slowly tried to grab my breasts, but I gave him a slap that almost broke his hand. GRYAAUU! Not yet, big boy. Later on, we can have all the fun, I said. Oooh R-Right! We managed to get into the city pretty easily. Now we didnt look too weird as we had three average dudes with us, an excellent way to camouflage inside, and they also paid for our entrance fee Lucifer included, which we said was our butler. Maria, I never would doubt your judgment, but W-What do you think youre doing?! Emeraldine asked. Come on, lets go eat something nice before we got to an inn. I am starving, I said. But you dont have a stomach. She sighed. Dont be so angry with the boys. Theyre inviting us Right, guys? I asked them. Yeah, maam! The three began to laugh creepily, with perverted gazes as they said that. Youre enjoying this, arent you? Asked Lucifer. Eh? Me? Noooo Master, can I suck their blood already? Asked Partner. Later, later~, I said. We finally got into the city, and it looked like a lovely and typical medieval fantasy city. There were several paved streets, big and colorful houses, and a bunch of people walking in and out. There were primarily humans, but elves and other races were not uncommon either. Come on, guys, lets go here! Here! I shouted. Alright! Lets get them drunk. Hehe The tavern was bustling with people everywhere, and it was a nice place to eat and drink. As we entered, we received the glares of many people, but the three guys that we came with quickly made them avert their gazes They were like a charm of anti-attention! Alright! I want everything on the menu, miss, I said. E-Eh? All of it? Asked the girl that came for our orders. W-Wait, thats a bit too much Said the guy. Come on, dear, didnt you say you would buy us food? I asked while winking at him. A-Ah Y-Yeah! And like that, they brought us a massive feast, and we began to dig in. I ate everything with tons of enthusiasm. Hehe, you eat an awful lot for a little lady. Commented the old guy. Yeah, the foods good, I responded before drinking a whole cup of wine. Bring some more wine! I shouted. In the end, we emptied these guys'' wallets, and we ended up walking out of the tavern after a massive feast. Phew, I am stuffed. I sighed as we walked near a closed and dark alley. S-So, what do we do now? Dont tell me you want to do it here? I dont mind! Hehe Huh? Ah, youre still here? I asked. GRAARR! Suddenly, Partner leaped out of my shadow towards him and began to tear his throat apart. Grryyyaaaagggh! The other guys didnt have an easy end either, as one of them was crushed to death by Lucifers dragon claw, and the last one was eaten alive by Kuro. I created a barrier of shadows, and no one saw a thing. Oh yeah, the three guys were used as fresh blood for Partner as well. So, everyone had their fill! ----- We Are Living The Isekai Dream Now! PancakesWitch ----- Ill never forget you guys! The food was good, and you were pretty nice. You almost caught my heart as well Too bad Partner was getting thirsty for blood, though. Oh well, lets not blame Partner for everything. I was also at fault for this. I have done a sinful act; killing is bad! I shouldnt have done this Now, guilt is eating me away! Oh, please, god, have mercy on my soul I am so, so, so guilty! Joking. It is better not to think about this anymore. They were assholes anyway, and when I learned more about them, they had a history as bandits of some sort. They were not a big group, but they had assaulted adventurers that went alone into the forest. Wow, thats kind of awful. They had even violated several girls and left them to die in the forest. Super awful I just read their minds through their souls and damn man, how terrible can you get? Is there any limit for them? I look like a saint in comparison now. And whats with these men''s obsession with violating women? Fucking animals. Well, thats just the trash of the world. Not all men are like this. The Goblin males were all good people, and the other guys Ive met too. Only just bandits are rotten, I guess. Whats going on with that, to be honest? How do they become so terrible at being people? I sometimes think I am fucked up, but then I learn there are people like this, and I begin to think I am not as bad. But maybe thats just my delusion How bad is it to kill someone compared to robbing or violating someone? I guess killing is a major sin. I remember that killing a person was punished more than violating someone in my previous life but Of course, if theres context such as self-defense, it might not even be punished So lets say it was all in self-defense! I bet you cant violate someone in self-defense though, so your sin is worse! Moving on, I grabbed these three guys'' souls and devoured them. They tasted awful; it was as if being trash made them taste bitter. I got some of their memories but instantly deleted all the disgusting stuff from my mind as those awful things are not staying in my hard drive. I learned tons of info on this town, such as where there was a good Inn, the Adventurer Guild, a few shops, and so on. We wasted most of the money of these guys, but we also had some of their equipment to sell, and well, we got a lot of monster parts, including their magic crystals, pelt, and so on, to sell as well. Oh right, we also had the exclusive merchandise of the brainwashed merchant inside of my Shadow Storage. Hes still there, groaning about I had completely forgotten about him. While we saved the remains of the devoured trio of idiots, I freed the merchant and quickly told him to lead us to the nearest Inn and pay stuff for us as a fa?ade. Always having a normal-looking human with us will makes us not stand out as much because if we go alone, we really look like a squad of oddly pale goths plus a very bright elf. Maria, did you really have to kill them? Asked Emeraldine as she seemed worried. Emeraldine, their plan was to get us drunk, so they could use our bodies to their hearts content. Why wouldnt we kill them? I asked. O-Oh, I guess youre right But still, it felt a tad bit brutal, She muttered. These were the same type of people who did all the same things to you before being enslaved, and even after that Dont be too nice. I know youre a good-hearted girl, and I like you because of that, but sometimes, theres people that just dont deserve any type of compassion, Y-Youre right She sighed. I know youre not used to it, so dont worry. There are people that are more fitting for certain jobs than others, I consoled her. I wont mind killing any humans you want, Said Lucifer. See? Hes a nice guy, I said. I-I guess Emeraldine muttered once again. Blood was bad, bitter, disgusting. Partner commented. Now, now, young girl, dont get too cocky. Those three sacrificed their lives to feed your thirst for blood, I said. Sorry Sighed Partner. We reached an Inn with the merchant leading us, and we entered quickly after. An adult woman seemingly in her early 40s greeted us. She had a motherly aura to her, with long brown hair and gentle emerald eyes. Ah, welcome to my Inn. Do you want to stay for the night? She was very friendly. Ah, yes, a room with two beds, please, Said the merchant. O-Only one? But youre five, Said the woman. We are all going to sleep together, dont worry, I said. I-I see But this isnt a hotel, you know? So if possible Dont do anything lewd. She said. Eh?! Who are you taking us for, hookers?! I asked while slapping the table. Ah! N-no! S-Sorry! She quickly apologized. Because we arent! We are actually all married with this big stud. And this old man is his father, so he will sleep alone, I said as I caressed the chest of Lucifer. Eh?! Y-Yeah! That Said Emeraldine. Huh? I am not- Mwuh! Partner was about to give us away, so I covered her mouth. Y-You have three women? Asked the woman. I Ah Lucifer looked at me, and I winked back. Y-Yeah He muttered, sounding very unsure. Well, youre very handsome, so I guess it makes sense Its not like I havent seen some talented young adventurers with parties full of women, although most of the time theyre slaves Anyways, here are your keys. We can also offer meals if you want. Oh, theres a bath pass for an extra coin as well, She said. Sure, well take it all, I said, as the merchant paid it before thanking her. We walked upstairs leisurely afterward. Infiltration complete! We are living the Isekai dream now. ----- Artificial Children PancakesWitch ----- We entered the Inn, and I jumped onto the bed when I finally saw it, saving the merchant inside my shadow storage. POMF! Hahh An actual good bed And its so comfy! You dont even feel physically tired. Why are you implying you were? Asked Lucifer. Well, shut up already! I can enjoy whatever I want, you know? I asked. I feel like this whole trip has been just pure nonsense. Sighed Lucifer. Youre my Undead, so you do what I want! Now, rest on your bed, Fine Lucifer sat on the bed. Hmm Well, it is comfortable, I have to admit, He muttered, as he fully rested over it and even stretched his legs. I could get used to this, See?! Beds are good! I used to laze around on my bed all the time, I said. When you were alive, Maria? Asked Emeraldine. Erm Yeah, I dont even remember what I did when I was alive in this life, but I liked to laze over a comfortable bed while reading and eating snacks in my previous life I was such a lazy person. I am thankful I have a ghost body, so I dont actually feel physically tired, or I wouldnt do half of the things I do. Though I still get mental exhaustion. Hahh~ Anyways, lets get to business, I said as I kicked Lucifer out of his bed. Oi! Sorry, but we got babies to take care of now. I opened my Shadow Storage and took two little kids out of it; these weird kids were the ones we just rescued by chance. I dont know why I keep getting into trouble like this, but here we are with some chimera kids. When I checked their status, what I got surprised me. They were not even a normal race but were called Homunculus instead. Does this means they were made through alchemy?! Is this Full Metal Alchemist now? Will they be called according to Sins? I hope not. That would be a big copyright infringement. Theyre homunculus?! By the gods to think that such experiments are real these kids were made through forbidden Magic and Alchemy. Muttered Emeraldine. Do you know anything about it? I asked as I watched the two babies sleep. They looked to be around 7 or 8, so for me, they were babies. Homunculus Yes, I know. Ive heard from places, and Ive read it from books. They existed in the past and were living beings of humanoid appearances made completely out of alchemy. It is like creating life It is said theyre made with using the power of a Philosophers Stone a malefic stone made out of the souls of hundreds of innocent people, Emeraldine explained. Yikes. And why would they even make them to begin with? Whats the purpose behind it? As soldiers? As warriors? Just as puppets? Toys? I remember that guy saying these kids were his items and his properties Was he a crazy scientist type of guy? I asked. He was probably their creator Those monsters that came to capture them were something similar to Homunculus, perhaps. They were Chimeras made using materials and alchemy They were perhaps a more primitive way of creating homunculus life, Yeah, they could have been that. I remember that they were not dead. They were both alive. Even the skull-faced wolf the one that created them, is also proficient at using Death Magic because the souls these chimera possessed were those of people, Lucifer added. Good observation, I think the same. The purple slime had the soul of a person too, and so did the wolf chimera. But both of their minds were warped and made insane. I said. Most likely because they couldnt adapt to their new bodies and felt their minds being warped through it We all felt their souls being those of people and not native to a monster Whatever made them is a skilled Necromancer, an Alchemist, and perhaps a Life Mage too. Said Lucifer. What kind of guy could be so talented? Oh well, maybe he has the tools to do it without needing all of those Skills. Or perhaps he has assistants with different talents doing the work for him. Who knows? I muttered. Well, whats important now is to check on these kids and see if theyre alright, Said Lucifer. We ended up looking at him. What? I-I am only worried because youve already got us into this mess! He said shyly. Well, Lucifer had a sweet spot for children as he let the kids in the goblin village climb his dragon body, and he even told tales to them. Sometimes he event went into the wild with them and protected them while showing off his power by hunting big boars and then giving the meat to their families. Hes deep down a good man and also has a father complex as he acts very fatherly. Maybe because he was? He did say he once had children. Alright~ Anyways, what do we do? Theyre still sleeping I am not so good with the living. Can you tell me anything, Emeraldine? I asked. Hmm I think theyre fine for now, but we should bring a pot with warm water and wash their bodies a little bit. Theyre so nasty and smelly. She suggested. Wouldnt it be better for them to just wake up? Asked Lucifer. Right Lets see. We tried waking up the kids for a few minutes, and after insisting for a while, they slowly opened their colorful eyes. Huh? Ah W-Where are we?! The boy didnt see us saving them, so he was pretty scared at first, but the girl explained everything to him. We chose not to ask them anything for now because they were too tired, so we told them that they were in good hands. I then brought them to the bath with the token I got for a copper coin through my shadow storage. Arriving there, we bathed them with Partner and Emeraldine, and the elf healed any tiny wound she missed before. Also, I noticed the two kids had strange crystals stuck to their chests what could they be? They emanated a strong and dark presence. ----- A Ghostly Mommy PancakesWitch ----- Knock, knock. As we were cleaning the kids and giving them new clothes to change into, the girl that attended the Inn brought us the dinner for four that we bought for two copper coins. The whole night cost one copper coin per person, but if we all stayed in the same room, it was reduced to half. She also offered a dinner for four for two copper coins and a bath token, which can be exchanged to an old woman near the bath for a pass inside for another copper coin. So in total, the whole night cost like four copper coins, including these meals and the bath. I didnt need a bath at all. After all, I was a ghost, and my body doesnt get dirty. Oh well, theres this soot that accumulates around my phantasmal body, which is like a dried-out shadow and dark mana, but I can clean it off by shaping my body around. Nonetheless! I materialized my body and enjoyed the warm water, and it felt like I had a fleshy body It was a nice and relaxing bath. We also washed the two kids who were very stinky and covered in dirt. Emeraldine healed the terrible wounds they had under their little feet, which were all infected with dirt. It hurt them a bit when we washed them with a lot of soap, but it was the only way to disinfect them properly. After that, Emeraldine once more proved her usefulness as she healed them, something I wouldnt be able to do with my [Undead Healing]. Having a Live Healer like her around is very useful in this situation. We bought them some simple clothes on the way to the Inn, it was nothing too much, just a dress for the girl, pants and shirt for the boy, and their underwear, alongside socks and shoes. We only guessed their shoe size, but it fit in the end, so I was relieved. Huh? Partner lightly opened the door as the girl greeted her. Ah, hello, heres your dinner for four. This is our secret recipe, boar stew, some slices of bread, boiled potatoes, and coffee, She said. Thank you, Said Partner rather awkwardly, as she grabbed the large tray and closed the door right away in order to not let the girl see the kids inside. After taking such a relaxing bath and having their wounds attended to, the sleepy and tired kids sensed the smell of the soup and the boiled potatoes and quickly woke up from their daze. Here you go, we already ate plenty before, so eat to your hearts content! I said. Uwaa N-Nee-sama Thank you so much Said the girl. Thank you! Cried the boy as he began to drink the soup. This stew was made most likely of boar bones as it had some small pieces of meat here and there, but it mostly had carrots and potatoes to fill ones belly. It also had a bit of a creaminess to it, which was most likely due to them adding milk and cheese. I tasted it a bit, and it was indeed creamy, with a bit of cheese and boar taste. The carrots and potatoes were what filled the belly the most, but it was a decent meal for the poor, and four plates of it for two copper coins was pretty cheap. There were also four boiled potatoes if you ended up still hungry. They were recently boiled and were emanating some vapor. They had a generous topping of butter on top, and so the kids devoured each one and then drank the bitter yet comforting coffee without much difficulty. This coffee was probably made out of a cheap one, so it wasnt the best quality. I drank a cup myself; it wasnt anything special compared to my beloved Earth''s authentic, delicious Cuban coffee, but it was okay as a warm drink to fill you with energy. The bread was hard, but not too hard, so it was decent, and they included another block of butter on the side in order to eat it with the bread. Overall, it was a decent meal, although I only tasted the things here and there and let the kids eat most of it. When the kids finished eating, they ended up exhausted and immediately fell asleep next to each other. We covered them in blankets and let them sleep peacefully. I feel like I am playing mother simulator now! Well, secretly, Ive always wanted to be a mother, but in my previous life, I died way too young to get to it! I-I know that being over 30 is not young, but I was waiting for the chosen one! Which never came. I was ugly and a nerd. Perhaps if I were pretty and a nerd, all the guys would be crazy for me, but I wasnt. I was skinny, ugly, had messy hair and big rat-like teeth I didnt even have big assets to compensate for my ugly face. My breasts were almost flat, and I had no hips to talk about. I was the opposite of my sister, so I was like a skeleton while she was a gorilla. Mother, our genes were fucked up but I still love you. I guess Ive made my appearance what Ive always wanted to look like In the Necromancers books, I read that ghosts can take the form of their true selves, of what they seem themselves as. This is why some ghosts remain with visible wounds in their phantasmal bodies because the trauma of their deaths makes them see themselves with such wounds on their bodies, despite not actually having physical bodies. Of course, when we evolve, we lose those traits. And as a simple Lesser Ghost, I dont remember having my head wandering around, so the trauma of being beheaded didnt stick with me. Anyways, the point is, unlike my sister, I always wanted to be a mother myself and have children Sniff Now I dont even have a physical body, so thats impossible! As the night continued, we looked over the area for anything suspicious, but thankfully, the night went on peacefully. ----- An Hidden Laboratory Of Horrors PancakesWitch ----- Within an underground laboratory, a small old man with a long white beard and a bald head looked at the floating mass of flesh inside a tube. This tube contained a green and oozy substance that nourished this lump of flesh, which continued to grow bigger with each passing day. Within this flesh, there was a soul, and within this body, there was also a large black jewel as its core. He looked at the experiment and then continued to walk through his facility, ignoring the several skeletons walking in and out of the whole place while maintaining the things in motion. He looked at the empty room where he once held two of his items. Damn it. They escaped and even found someone to help them! But Even if they escape, they cannot really run away from me As long as they hold those Magic Crystals, I can always track them down, He laughed, holding onto a runic tablet, and a magical projection suddenly showed that his targets were closer than he imagined. Huh?! Theyre in the town now? Haha! Fools! You brought them closer to me Hm? Suddenly, another magical artifact began to ring; a small eye-shaped item on his pendant. Ring, ring~ Ungh T-The boss He quickly attended the call as the voice of a stoic man spoke. Borudro, how are the experiments going? Ive invested enough time and money in you for you to finally show me some results. And I dont want to see any more wild and stupid chimeras. I want proper results this time around, A-Ah! Yes, boss! T-The results are almost readyyy I-Its just T-There was a slight disturbance, Said the man. What disturbance?! And youre telling me you finally made them, right? Living beings capable of adapting to the power of the Evil Gods Fragments and utilizing them without being affected negatively? This is what I paid you for, for over 30 years, you know? Yes! T-Theyre almost ready! The tests showed great results. They were able to wield the Dark Gods Energy through the implants made from the Dark Gods Fragment! They had been successfully made into Magic Crystals that fuel their bodies with power like a monsters magic crystal does. And due to their souls being summoned into this world from another, they possess unique talents to boot! They could become excellent soldiers and warriors for the entire organization! Shouted the man. Youre not lying to me, are you?! N-No! I would never! Then send them to me. I want to see the merchandise myself. And quickly! A-As I said there are some disturbances with the delivery If Master could wait a bit more. Disturbances?! What is it this time? Asked the man. The subjects had escaped the facility by using abilities I had not expected them to develop so soon I had sent my dogs chasing them, and they almost caught them, but Well, someone came. A group of around four and they defeated my dogs incredibly quickly! W-Whoever they are, they will learn to never disturb my work! Shouted the man. Y-You useless piece of trash! I only have so much patience! Catch them quickly! Use anything you have! Money! Power! Anything! I require those two subjects theyre the key for us Vampires to fulfill our goal! Y-Yes! I will do everything I can to retrieve them! Said the little man. And about those aristocrats have them give you more resources. They owe me a lot. Use those resources and build strong chimeras. Whoever those that are trying to disturb you are, destroy them! Shouted the Vampire. Yes! The call was abruptly cut, as the halfling old man could almost barely keep standing. His boss was very tyrannical and rather temperamental. He quickly ordered the skeleton to get moving, as all of them possessed the souls of talented alchemists or people that exuded in the area of magical science. There were also proficient biologists and even crafters, which he had placed into these Undead bodies through contracts, summoning magic, and other dark arts. He began to quickly fill more tubes with new fleshy beings, which began to grow at an insane speed after the insertion of special toxins and magic. Each one of them had glowing black crystals within them Now that I know your location, the only thing I need to do is wait until my chimeras are done and then send them chasing you down at night! Perhaps your heroes were strong, but they wont be able to fight against these improved chimeras! ----- Today in the morning, the kids finally woke up feeling better, although they were feeling a bit exhausted and always saying their chest hurt a bit. Emeraldine used her magic to alleviate their pain as we were greeted by an early breakfast brought by the assistant of the Inn once more. The breakfast wasnt any different than the dinner from last night, but it included some wild berry jam with bread, a small cup of fresh milk, and a piece of cheese too. It was actually a tiny bit more generous than the dinner, but it had less soup, as it was only now a cup and not a whole plate. Also, the potato was still there, and the coffee too. The kids had their own while I enjoyed one with Emeraldine as the others didnt seem to want to eat. Partner had her fill of blood last night so she could go on without any thirst for over a week, I believe. Meanwhile, Lucifer is a zombie and doesnt particularly feel any hunger. Well, me neither, but I wanted to try out this cute little breakfast, and to no surprise, it was amazing! Anyways, you two, I think it is finally time to open up a bit and tell us who are you? We dont even know your names, I asked the two kids. Maria-sama, d-dont pressure the kids. Said Emeraldine. No, its fine. Muttered the girl as the boy nodded. Youre good people You deserve to know the truthMy name is Laura, while hes Takeshi She said. Wait, Takeshi? Thats Japanese, right? I wondered. Huh?! The two kids ended up looking at me, surprised. Hm? What? ----- A Talk Between Reincarnated Souls PancakesWitch ----- Wait, Takeshi? Thats Japanese, right? I wondered. Takeshi is a Japanese name, isnt it? Then why was the boy named with a Japanese name? Well, this is another world, so- Ah, it doesnt matter in the end, there are also western names too, so I guess it can be whatever. Huh?! The two kids ended up looking at me, surprised. Hm? What? Nonetheless, when I voiced my thoughts, the two kids were left surprised when I said the word Japanese. Whats wrong? I asked. I felt a bit surprised as these two kids were shocked by this word. Nee-sama Y-Youre from another world, right?! Asked Takeshi. Nobody would even know about the word Japanese in this world if it wasnt for someone from Earth too! Laura exclaimed. Oh, I guess you found me out! But that means youre also from Earth, right? H-How? Did you get reincarnated like me? I asked. Wait, youre a reincarnated person? Asked Lucifer. Huh? Whats reincarnated? Partner added another question. Maria, your soul is from another world?! Emeraldine added yet another question. Oof, I guess its big reveal time now. Indeed, but I only regained the memories of my previous life when I died, funnily enough. While alive, I didnt remember my previous life, but when I died, I remembered them, but forgot the memories of when I was alive. I sighed as my explanation was a bit confusing. An otherworldly soul. Muttered Lucifer. Is it common? I thought I was unique, but I guess Laura and Takeshi here are also from Earth, I said. No, reincarnated people are actually not unique. There had been tales about them from long ago, dont you remember that you read about a Hero of the past, and the Human Heroes? They were summoned using powerful Dimensional Summoning Magic. Heroes summoned in this world come packed with powerful Unique Skills and dangerous powers They were incredibly strong from the start and a real threat to the Demon King. Sighed Lucifer. Ive also heard of them Aside from the Summoned Heroes of old, there are also tales of other people that have been summoned into this world or reincarnated. People with memories of past lives of worlds different from our own. The remarkable thing about all of them is that theyre intelligent from the start, even as babies, and they develop unique powers named Unique Skills, just as Lucifer said! Emeraldine added. I see Ugh! I thought I was super unique But I suppose I am not that special, huh? Theres always a bigger fish out there, I muttered. I dont think that metaphor really works in the current context, but sure, Said Lucifer. Y-Youre pretty strong already, Maria Stronger than all of us combined, Said Emeraldine. Yeah! Maybe youre being a bit too humble there, Said Lucifer. Hahaha! M-Maybe? Well, anyways, kids, tell us more about you, how did you come to this world, and what the heck are you guys? And what are those glowing cores in your chests? I asked. Ah, well Takeshi and Laura looked at one another before nodding and mustering up the courage to explain. We barely remember exactly how we came here Said Takeshi. But we know that one day when we died back on Earth, we arrived here, Said Laura. I dont want to be the one to ask such a thing But how did you die? Okay, Ill go first! I died being buried by books after an earthquake in my visit to Japan Hahaha I laughed. Huh?! You died like that? Asked Lucifer. Poor Master Partner began to pet my head and caressed my hair while hugging me. Hahaha, it was funny, no worries, I laughed. W-Well I died by drowning I went to the beach with my family, but when I went swimming in the water, a large wave took me, and I died Sighed Takeshi. Im sorry to hear that. At which age did you die? I questioned him once again. Around 12 We might seem older, but our current bodies are around four years old. We developed quickly due to our composition, Said Takeshi. I see So youre technically 16, I died a bit older at 15 A plane crashed in the apartment where I lived, Sighed Laura. A plane? Wait which country are you from, Laura? I asked. I... Im from the USA, Then where you lived by any chance were these the Twin Towers?! Yeah How did you know? Asked Laura as she perhaps thought I had died before her. Dear that happened in 2001 And I am from 2021, I said. Ah! Laura looked at me in disbelief. The year when I died it was 1985, Said Takeshi. What?! So strange what is with this time difference?! They certainly came before me, but our years apart here are so tiny. They had only lived for four years here, yet both of them werent much older, younger or older than each other and they were summoned at the same time? And four years later, within this world, I was summoned from 2021. Could it be? Are we not from the same Earth? Or there is another possibility, something within this Universe holds our souls and then releases them as we are reincarnated or summoned elsewhere. But who says that time here is the same here as on Earth? It could probably be completely different. I am sorry for having asked this. Perhaps I should have been more considerate Sometimes I get a bit too ahead of myself. I am a bit nuts, you know. I sighed. Oh No, it is fine. We were also curious. Said Laura. Yeah it is important to talk this stuff out, so we know each other better, Nee-sama, Said Takeshi. Aw, you two are such sweeties! I hugged both of them before sitting down between the two on the bed. They felt my hug; although cold, I tried to use mana to warm my materialized body, and I guess it worked a bit. Lets strive together for a better future Ill take you two into my party, but you better tell me the truth regarding your origins too First of all, what exactly are you two? I asked. Well ----- Evil God Fragments PancakesWitch ----- Yeah, I dont really know what exactly they are, but I really want to know more. My analysis can only look through their basic info, but I wasnt able to properly see their entire status for some reason. Perhaps being a reincarnated person makes their souls stronger so they cannot be read by my Ability? I cannot see what Unique Skills they have either, so it is very confusing. Well, when we gained consciousness, we were merely two lumps of flesh, Said Takeshi. From then on, our minds slept and came back in intervals. We were raised inside cold tubes and strange liquids we are beings made of many parts fused together into a whole living being similar to a demi-human; we are Homunculus, Said Laura. We remember well what that crazy old man had said back then I think he said we were the vessels of the Dark God or something. That we were made to harbor his powers, and that we were made using parts of his fragments, Said Takeshi. It was until very late that we realized what we truly were We read some of his documents when we were finally left free from the tubes. We were trained to move, read, and more. He gave himself the time to actually make us learn what we were from the beginning, Said Laura. We dont take him as a good person, but he did this so we could learn quickly to use our own bodies, Said Takeshi. Wait, wait, wait Hold on a second. The vessels of the Dark God!? I asked. The Dark God A corrupted God that once tried to destroy this world. I dont know much about it, but according to folklore, he was part of the 80 plus gods that resided in this world after having created it. For unknown reasons, he was corrupted and became mad. The other gods had to defeat him and destroy his body. Each of his fragments ended up leaking tremendous quantities of dark power, which ended up falling around the world and corrupting it with monsters and strong dark energies. They say that demons originate from his body, and what I mean by demons, I mean the Majin, such as Goblins. Monsters too, are said to come from it, although they also come from dungeons, which the Chaos God made as trials for the mortals. I know that my family in this world used to hold a fragment of the Dark God a Fragment of Evil, as they call it. Our ancestor used to be a Hero, and he had sealed this fragment of evil in the holy underground areas of our large territory, where it was something like a treasure, although it couldnt be sold or used. After all, it was a terrifying evil that was being held there. The whole drama with my family, how they killed my parents, how they killed me, how they destroyed everything in my life, was to get their hands on this. And now, after getting their hands on it, the entire Kingdom is most likely doing millions of things with it. And the black potions are already one of them. These potions enhanced the power of anybody and could even be used as fantastic necromancy materials to make overpowered Undead. And now, they were doing Homunculus projects, trying to use the tiny black crystal that grew around the Fragment of Evil as a core of a half-monster half-demi-human homunculus. It seems Laura and Takeshi are the first successful subjects and there were many failed other ones. We had fought two of them recently. The wolf and the slime who were homunculus too, or chimera, I dont know. But they were failures and were reduced to mere monsters whose minds were being constantly tortured. They explained this and more as we continued speaking. So theyre trying to make a new living being that has the power of fully wielding the fragment of evil For what purpose? Pondered Lucifer. Whats the point of doing something so horrendous if the Dark God can really be revived through such a method wouldnt everything end? Why are humans so obsessed with self-destruction Sighed Emeraldine. The scientist said that our existences would bring a new era. Said Takeshi. But we didnt want this we wanted to live freely. After dying in our previous lives, we wanted to live this life without regrets, Said Laura. I see I understand how it feels, I said. This Is this being run by the government? Or the Vampires in the shadows or wait, both? Lucifer pondered once again. The scientist that created us was a Vampire Subordinate, Said Laura. So those damn Vampires are in this too? Are they in everything bad thats going on? I muttered. Most likely, after retrieving the Fragment of Evil from your family, the Kingdom had begun experiments on it, and many pieces of this fragment, such as the leftover secretions and outgrows that this fragment produces. Also, with this black crystal, which they named Demonite, and that black liquid named Miasma theyre most likely trying to make weapons of war with them The Kingdom is ambitious. They are colluding with the Vampires families who have the resources and the personnel to create such experiments This is a guess, but perhaps now that the Demon Kingdom is gone, they want to expand. There are many other Human Kingdoms, after all, right? They want to conquer everything using this Fragment of Evil as their greatest weapon, Explained Lucifer. Ugh, no way This is awful, I muttered. It all gets more intricate as we delve deeper. This entire conspiracy has been going on for much longer than we initially believed. Perhaps even before getting your familys fragment Could it be they already had fragments beforehand? This is why my lord, the Demon King, feared humans so much. They have no considerations towards self-preservation nor the preservation of the world they are barbaric and greedy. By experimenting more and more with these fragments theyre risking the entire world to collapse into Chaos! Shouted Lucifer. ----- The Children’s Unique Abilities PancakesWitch ----- Huh, I guess everything is connecting a bit. Even Laura and Takeshi are connected to my own past as my family was the holders of this damn fragment that is provoking all of these things to occur. But now, what should we do? I had come here to slay some aristocrat pigs and the duke of this place, not to solve this entire issue. But now, I feel like Ive entangled myself into this conflict. I dont want to give away these kids, so I will be forced to act. It''s not like I am truly being forced, but I just want to do it for the EXP. And well I kind of feel strong hate for anyone who is daring to use this fragment that my family was protecting to do all sorts of atrocities. And like the good heroine I am, I will put a stop to it. After all, everyone who is using it, or the byproduct of this item, in one way or another, is related to the whole scheme against my family, and therefore, they deserve to die through excruciating pain while having their souls devoured. Yep, thats my resolve now And the Vampires, sadly, are getting in the way of the Undead Queen. If I have to do a complete Vampire genocide, so be it. Theyre the bad-type of Majin who are doing things that were even against the beliefs of the Demon King they once served. I suppose that after their boss died, they went pretty crazy and began doing atrocities. I dont know if theyre doing this against humans to avenge their Demon King, but I am not going to let them play around with the treasure of my family, even less now that Ive figured out that if theyre using it so much, it most likely means they were probably behind the death of my parents and well myself. Lucifer, it appears the Vampires are behind this entire thing, and quite probably, were the ones pulling the strings behind the death of my parents and my own death too, I said. I know. Ive also figured it out, He sighed. I know that theyre Majin and most likely once served the Demon King, so I am going to ask you this Are you okay with me slaughtering them all? I asked. Why do you even ask me this? Although I once saw Vampires as my comrades, thats long in the past. The Demon King is gone, and so is his Kingdom and legacy. What exists now is but the remnants of the past. Some like me decided to have new lives and move forward, while the Vampires, within their grudges, had decided to destroy humans from the inside out but well, to do that, they also affected you, my master. I wish I could do them a favor and help them destroy the humans too, but you, as a former human, cannot let that slide, will you? He sighed. I wont. But not because I was a former human. Its not a thing of race. Its more of a personal thing. Maybe if they didnt mix themselves with my family and had provoked their death through pulling the strings behind all these aristocrats, then I wouldnt even care but now, I really care. I am going to kill this crazy scientist guy and probably destroy everything he has made. I said. *Sigh* Your response is within my expectations. I already guessed you would do that and think like this already. We have been together for some months now, so Ive had enough time to know how you act and think, Maria. Do as you please. I will help you as much as I can, as youre my Master, Said Lucifer. Aw, Lucy, you get so serious over things But you meant that youre my bestie? I asked. S-Shut up! He cried out, blushing in embarrassment. Master, I will also stay at your side Lets kill! Shouted Partner, getting pumped up. I-I Well, if these Vampires are truly threatening the life of these innocent people, then I feel it is also my duty to put a stop to them thanks to the holy light Ive inherited from my ancestors through my evolution. And of course, Maria, you can count on me for anything, Said Emeraldine. Good to know that youre all up for the challenge! I shouted, giving my thumbs up. The two kids were surprised to hear our words. Erm, are you sure?! T-That man hes strong, said Takeshi. And he also has many like us the failures that came before us There are many like those two monsters that chased us down Said Laura. Oh really?! Then even more free EXP, right? And you two are still Level 1. You should also level up a bit Oh right, can you guys use any supernatural powers? And what are your Unique Skills? I asked. W-We can use something called Demon Energy or Miasma. It comes from the cores in our chests But it''s an unstable force, Said Takeshi. We can use it to conjure explosive magic that erodes living things Like a deadly poison, Said Laura. I see! And about Unique Skills I possess [Fisher] and [Water Absorption]. Sighed the boy. And I have [Twin Connection] and [Detonation], sighed Laura. [Fisher] and [Water Absorption]? Is this because Takeshi died in the sea? Damn And Laura is even worse, Twin Connection and Detonation is this because she died in the twin towers and through an explosion due to the airplane?! Ugh This is beyond cruel. Who the heck decides these stupid Unique Skill names? Seriously I-I see I dont know what those do My Unique Skills are Well, they help me drain Mana and pretty much use magic better, I explained. They had revealed their secrets, so it was only fair to do the same. The rest of my party already knew such things anyway. And then, they decided to reveal what their Unique Skills could do. ----- Black Demonite Heart Core PancakesWitch ----- Takeshi and Laura showed us their Unique Skills effects. They were interesting, to say the least. Takeshis [Fisher] allowed him to convert any stick into a fishing rod which had the ability to trespass material objects. It is as if everything it touched was water itself. The hook it has is very sharp, and the fishing rod can pick up things and grab them tightly, allowing them trespass material objects to bring them to him. He has been practicing with it ever since he gained consciousness, but its power was lacking by quite a lot. Plus, it required him to have higher stats to show off its true potential. Apparently, he utilized it to escape by grabbing the key to open their cell using it. And the stick he made was created through the bones of the meat given to him as food. And well, [Water Absorption] is quite literally the ability to absorb water. It makes him immune to water attribute magic, and it should be possible for him to also survive underwater, though the true effects of this power had yet to be completely discovered And then theres Laura. [Twin Connection] is a bizarre, Unique Skill as it allows her to choose someone as her twin. Through this connection, both of them share certain abilities, such as being able to talk with one another through Telepathy, sharing each others Mana, and even being capable of using each others abilities to an extent, although their potential is reduced by 50%. Meanwhile, her second Unique Skill, [Detonation], allows her to detonate objects that she touches and decides to explode. The issue here is that this is not free as it takes too much Mana for her to even make a tiny marble explode. Also, the explosion itself is not that strong either because it is based on her Magic stat, which is very low at Level 1. Nonetheless, she also used this to break through the facility, although she ended up completely exhausted In total, their Unique Skills are more than promising, and both of them could become pretty incredible fighters if they developed further. Even more, as they have the bodies of genetically modified superhuman Homunculus with the power of harboring the demon energy of the Fragments of the Dark God Though, after being told such explanations, some arose with questions. Wait, if you had such abilities, why didnt you use them to fight back? Asked Emeraldine. We did, thanks to them, we managed to escape the facility but theyre not so good to fight, and consume a lot of energy, which we spent running away Our stats are too low as well sighed Takeshi. We are Level 1 after all. Not much we can do even with Unique Skills, and our basic skills dont help either What can a Level 1 do against a Level 30 monster? We can either die or escape, Laura explained. O-Oh Sorry, Apologized Emeraldine. Mana is extra hard for us to gather than others. Takeshi added. Huh? Why is that? I asked. Well, the crystal in our chest is constantly absorbing our Mana so, we never have it at full. It sometimes satiates itself and lets us recover sometimes, but after the Mana hits max, it begins to consume slowly once more, Said Laura. Oh, thats odd. I muttered. Hmmm Lucifer inspected the kids black crystal, and I did as well, through [Analyze]. [Black Demonite Heart Core (Grade: S-Rank)] A special alchemy-made Core made out of pure Demonite; a special ore formed from the crystallization of secretions made by a Fragment of Evil of the Dark God. It possesses the ability to produce Demonic Energy or Miasma in exchange for draining Mana. It enhances magic strength and proficiency, but the power it has can affect the minds and bodies of others, and therefore, it cannot be used without caution. I see. It provides them with power they have yet to train, but in exchange, it constantly drains Mana. If they level up some more, they can form enough MP, so the amount drained won''t be as much, and they will be able to use the rest of the Mana for Skills. But what about this Demon Energy or whatever? They did say they could use it to conjure some weird explosive magic, but it gets out of control, and it can even damage them back. They also mentioned that they felt tons of pain around the chest when they used it and often passed out on the spot. I guess they have yet to mature enough for their bodies to be able to take the complete burden, despite being the perfect Homunculus that can use this power without breaking. Demonic Energy also has the power to mutate We didnt look like this before. Our hair color, eyes, and even the horns we grew happened after that man forced us to use this power over and over again Said Takeshi. Huh?! But even then, not many mutations have happened to us aside from this, meaning that we wont be as affected as well, the failures, as he calls them, Laura added. The tests subjects that failed became those monsters you fought. After he forced the demonic energy into their bodies, they ended up mutating into those chimera-like monsters Some even became completely different beings from their former human bodies, turning into slimes and other things. Said Takeshi. Miasma or Demon Energy can do such a thing And Erm, how many failures were there? I asked. He said there were at least a hundred before us this is why we were named 101 and 102, Said Takeshi. So the reason these monsters had the souls of people inside wasnt because they were inserted inside but because they used to be tests subjects with humanoid bodies like these kids but then they just mutated into horrifying creatures after overusing this energy. Oh well, the past is in the past. If they come, well kill them. Theres nothing to talk about in this regard Now, what should we do? I was planning to wait until night before we strike, I said. ----- A Small Shopping Break PancakesWitch ----- *Sigh* I would really like to stay here for a bit longer, but I guess we should be moving tonight, Said Emeraldine. If the Vampire that created them has a way to track them down no matter where they are, then it is possible he might send more of his dogs at us. The best we can do is hunt him down before anyone innocent is hurt, Lucifer suggested. Oh wow, youre so considerate of the inn! Did you like the receptionist? I asked. I-I dont even know her name! I am just being considerate because that aligns with your beliefs, right? Lucifer stuttered while crossing his arms. Right, right! So well do just that then, tonight. When the sun hits the horizon, and it disappears, well sneak into- Huh Where is the scientist lab, by the way? I asked. I suppose we can lead you there, nee-sama. Said Takeshi. But are you sure? Theyre strong And that man He was also powerful, despite not showing us his fighting style. Said Laura. Hmm Thats certainly troublesome, but well get through it. At the very least, we tried, and if things get too dire, we make a quick escape through my Shadow Sneak, I said. I guess thats decided then, Said Lucifer. For now, what should we do? Emeraldine asked. Aside from preparation, lets go shopping. I doubt that guy will send monsters in the middle of the day, straight in the middle of the streets, right? I said. Indeed, I dont believe hes that foolish, Said Lucifer. So how about we go register at the Adventurer Guild? Its one of my Isekai Dreams Also, we should go buy more food and get some better clothes for these two, I said, patting the kids on the head. Adventurer registration?! But Maria, we are monsters. Luficer said in disbelief. Just let me fulfill this stupid fantasy of mine, pretty please? Well probably leave here in just a few days anyway. So, I want to enjoy it as much as I can! I also heard you can change Jobs in the Adventurer Guild Maybe Emeraldine wants to change Jobs, am I right? And I also want to! I dont know if Maria-sama can take Jobs as youre an Undead Monster, but I suppose it is worth a shot, Said Emeraldine. And just like that, after planning out our assault of completely annihilating an underground facility at night, we moved out of the Inn, quickly cutting ties with these people here, so the guy targeting us doesnt suddenly kill innocents. We covered the kids with leather hoodies so their horns couldnt be seen. Although they had colorful eyes, the hoodies covered most of their noticeable parts, such as their hair and horns. The first thing we did was walk to a tailor and clothing shop, where we were greeted by a nice lady with long purple hair and an enchanting and seductive smile. Welcome to my humble store- Oho! Such a big band of handsome men and beautiful ladies. She said, eyeing all of us. She noticed the handsomeness of Lucifer and also our physical appearance. Do you need clothes? I have never sold clothes to such pretty people before, She said. I-Is that so? Well, we came here for some clothes for these two kids, I replied. I see Can I see their faces? She asked. I would rather not show them. Theyre erm, very timid, I quickly made up an excuse. Well, I guess thats how it is. Come, I have some kid clothes that should match their size, The lady gave us a short trip around her large store of clothes. There was tons of fashion in this medieval age-inspired fantasy world, way more than I could have expected. I suppose the advancement of technology through magic does make this fantasy-like world look more modern than it really is. Anyway, the clothes were also not expensive, and they were made of nice fabric enchanted with magic for a greater resiliency. I bet all of you are Adventurers. I see youre carrying weapons and equipment, so you gotta take these ones with sturdier resilience. There are also some beautiful dresses around here that have the Auto Regeneration Ability, but theyre quite costly, She said while smoking what seemed to be a pipe with a fragrant herb. The lady was surprisingly nice, and we ended up paying around 100 gold coins for all the clothes we ordered. I went on a bit of a frenzy with the other two girls as we wanted to wear new clothes, and now that I had such a pretty appearance, I wanted to try all sorts of styles I had never tried in my previous life due to my complex as an ugly duckling. I ended up walking outside the store with a beautiful red dress and red heels and I looked stunning! Emeraldine and Partner also bought themselves some beautiful dresses. Emeraldine had a white summer-styled dress with a summer hat and white sandals too. Partner, on the other hand, wanted something to help her easily move around, so she ordered a wine-colored skirt and a black shirt, alongside black stockings, and leather boots. And lastly, Lucifer got himself some simpler clothes, which were less lugubrious, but it still made him look like an overly handsome common man. For the kids, we got Laura some pants, as she disliked dresses and skirts. These pants were tight against her legs and helped her move faster around, while we also ordered her a big hoodie that seemed to be used by magicians. It had various engravements of golden and blue colors, while Takeshi wore similar clothes, so they really looked like twins now. I cant believe you actually convinced me to get new clothes, Sighed Lucifer. Haha, come on, relax for a bit and lets enjoy the day together, I said. I am a bit hungry. Muttered Emeraldine. Oh, it must be close to lunchtime, right? Lets go to that one cafeteria. Look, they have ice cream! I pointed. It seems that this world had many more tools than I initially thought as they had a special artifact that made milk, cream, and sugar into ice cream ----- A Ghost Enjoys All Kinds Of Sweets PancakesWitch ----- After our clothes shopping, we decided to take a break and go to a cafeteria I saw while walking through the town yesterday. This cafeteria had a big window upfront that showed all kinds of pastries, cakes, and types of bread, just to make everyone who passed by drool. I couldnt miss this place! Ill take the challenge of eating every single cake and pastry theyre selling! Oh, this place does look quite pretty, Commented Emeraldine. Ohh Sweets Muttered Partner. Should we really waste our time here? Sighed Lucifer. Come on grumpy dragon, enjoy life a bit, I said. *Sigh* You know that we are not even alive, right? But fine, I want a meat sandwich anyway. I dont really like sweets, He gave in. Hehe, good choice! We rushed inside the cafeteria, which was mostly empty at this hour of the day, but I bet it was filled in the morning. Welcome to Cafeteria Hearty! A cute young girl with pink-colored hair tied into pigtails greeted us as we glanced at the interior of the place. They seem to bake the bread and make the cakes all in here. I could clearly smell the scent of baked bread behind the doors right at the counter! Would you like to buy something to take out? If not, I invite you to sit down and relax. Ill bring you the menu, Said the girl. Oh yeah, thanks a lot, dear, I said as we went and sat down around a large table with enough space for all of us. The girl quickly rushed back with cups of fresh water, which had a slice of lemon and even some ice cubes. This means that this world is advanced enough to have artifacts that can produce ice! I see magic can really replace technology by quite a large margin... It would be dumb to think that they had not invented ways to use it to ease their daily lives in all these years. Heres the menu. Whenever you have decided what you want, just call me, Said the girl rather carefreely, as she gave each one of us a menu to look at. I began to read it and found that everything was beautiful and delicious. There were several illustrations of every single thing. They had ice creams of only natural cream flavor, but they added fruits and cookies into them as well, making all sorts of Sunday-like ice cream preparations. There were also all sorts of delicious cakes, sweet spongy cakes with white cream and various varieties with fruit slices on top or in between the layers of the cake. Disappointingly though, there wasnt chocolate cake Does chocolate cake not exist in this world!? Is there anything with chocolate? I asked. C-Chocolate? I have never heard of such a thing She said. Agh What kind of infernal world is this?! No chocolate?! Youre kidding me?! Damn Well, the rest of the stuff all looks yummy, so Ill take most of it! Almost everyone had made their decision, but Partner still seemed a bit confused, so I decided to just share with her all the stuff I was going to buy. The kids were also confused as they saw the prices of the things and felt a bit intimidated. E-Everything is so pricy. Muttered Laura. Can we really afford it? We have already asked for so many things from Nee-sama Sighed Takeshi. Dont feel indebted to me. Ask anything you want! I just want you two to have a nice day for once, I said. Ahh The two looked at me with emotional expressions on their faces before their eyes suddenly shone with glee. In the end, the two asked for two Sundays, two sandwiches, warm milk, and Wild Berry Cake Slices. I want Grilled Meat Seasoned with herbs and a Cheesecake. Oh, and the most bitter coffee you can find, Said Lucifer. Very well! The girl took all our orders and quickly ran away. I wonder if theres no chocolate in this world then where did the coffee come from? I wondered. Coffee? It is a special seed once brought by a Hero of ancient times, perhaps ten thousand years ago the last war against the Demon King must have happened almost a thousand years ago, so Lucifer muttered. Wow, thats an ancient one So I guess a person from another world recreated the coffee seed somehow? And they didnt recreate chocolate? What was he, an idiot?! I shouted. Ive actually heard of chocolate seeds before. But it was said that the candy produced from them was so precious and delicious that the five Kingdoms once waged war for it, and the seeds were lost in history, Lucifer explained. W-What?! To think that chocolate would cause wars in this world! Well, I would also wage war if I could get my hands onto a silky and smooth chocolate bar Only after half an hour of waiting, the girl quickly began to bring all sorts of stuff towards the table. The cake slices were brought first as it was already done, then the sandwiches, and lastly, all the ice cream. And we began to dig in! Lucifer bit the massive sandwich he ordered; his eyes clearly showed some surprise. This sauce Its so citric, yet it is also creamy and sweet it goes so well with the grilled and flavorful, juicy meat slices The tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese it has also gone excellently together! W-What is this?! He asked. Haha, first time eating a sandwich? I-I have definitely eaten one before! But this is way beyond what I had tasted back then. He muttered. He then proceeded to devour the whole sandwich on a whim and asked for seconds and then thirds. After that, he tasted the delicious cheesecake and was left just as speechless. So spongy and cheesy, this sweetness is also not too overwhelming, yet yet it is so good! Ungh! It goes so well with this bitter coffee as well! He cried out. Haha, hes very excited, Laughed Emeraldine. Meanwhile, Partner was eating everything rather wildly, stuffing her cheeks with tons of food. Nom Delicious! She shouted after drinking tons of coffee to wash it all down. The kids then began to eat the ice cream first. It was deliciously creamy and so cold and the fresh fruit on the side went so well with the cookies added into the Sundays. So many flavors. I moaned in pleasure. ----- Are Ghost Supposed To Eat? PancakesWitch ----- Uwah! I never thought I would get to eat so much delicious food in this medieval world of harsh discrimination, battles, and so on I guess there is a face to this society, which I had been completely missing this whole time! Perhaps it is really possible to lay down and have a leisureful life after everything is done? Enjoying the life of this world and the delicious plates I can find here and there building up my own farm, and having a dreamy slow life like in those popular slow life genre Isekai novels? That would certainly be like a dream! And the best thing is that even as a ghost, I can still eat, taste, and enjoy food Fwehehe, [Materialization] is the best Skill there is. It lets me enjoy the pleasures of the flesh even as a phantasmal entity. The sundae was so sweet, creamy, and refreshing. I couldnt help but moan a bit in pleasure. Also, the cookies were buttery and crunchy, the fruit was fresh and juicy, and with the coldness of the ice cream, everything went so well together, a great combination of flavors. After devouring my sundae, I moved on to several slices of cake and pies. The cakes were spongy and sweet, and the cream filling them had all sorts of fruits. The cakes were sorted accordingly to the fruits and the cream they had inside, which was so soft and sweet it felt like I was eating clouds. And the pies oh god, the pies! They had a variety of them. Each one was so buttery and delicious. The textures of the crust were like soft buttery cookies, and the eggy cream inside went amazing with the wild berries. There was also chiffon cheesecake, which was spongy and cloudy. It was really such a unique experience! Would you believe if I told you I had not even eaten this much of a variety of cake before when I was on Earth? It was completely mesmerizing! Ahh! And then, the delicious sandwiches. The bread was just baked, and it was still warm. The strips of grilled meat inside were well cooked to perfection, as they had a delicious juiciness to them. They had some kind of sauce coating them as well, making them slightly spicy and flavorful, but just enough to make the bread absorb its juices like a sponge. But that wasnt the only sauce as there was one that was made of tomatoes similar to ketchup, but sweeter, and then there was also one similar to citric yogurt sauce. It all went together with fresh leaves of cabbage and slices of tomatoes and the cheese was also nice, mildly melted by the heat of the meat itself! They sadly didnt sell beer, but the cold fruit juice and the tea that they served us was also amazing. I didnt want coffee because I dont like bitter stuff, but these cold drinks went amazingly well with the sandwiches. It was such a good experience that we all ended up very happy. And in fear that we might be forced to leave this place after shit hit the fan, I decided to purchase everything in the damn cafeteria using half our funds, which were all from our beloved merchant sponsor! The girl in the cafeteria was left speechless alongside the two chefs that cooked and made the cakes behind the doors. All three of them bowed their heads, thanking us for our purchase, as they probably believed we were of the high society or something Not like it bothers me! After that, we sneaked onto a street without people and saved all the bags of stuff we bought inside of my Inventory. In there, they will be kept fresh for us to eat whenever we want. We bought so many things that even by eating as gluttonously as we do, it will last at least a week or two! These days will be filled with many flavors as we even purchased all the ice cream and the fresh fruits and over a hundred pre-made sandwiches alongside those sauces they used. Having secured our meals for several days in the future, we decided to slowly make our way into the Adventurer Guild which was a large building in the middle of town, filled with people traveling in and out of it constantly. Phew, that was so good. Sighed Emeraldine in relief. That was perhaps the best meal Ive had in a while. Muttered Lucifer, admitting that everything was amazing. Yummy Partner muttered, and her belly was a bit fat due to how much food she consumed. Ive never eaten something so tasty in this world before Thank you so much, lady Maria. Said Laura. Youre the best, nee-sama! Said Takeshi. The two kids hugged me tightly, only reaching up to my stomach, but it was comfortable to be hugged by two cute kids My motherly instincts were kicking in as I embraced them as well. I am glad you had your fun Now lets go the Adventurer Guild to investigate how they do this stuff, I said. Uhh A-Are you sure? Theres a lot of people inside. Said Takeshi. Yeah Laura added. Dont worry, I am using my abilities to conceal my true presence, so there shouldnt be any issue Lucifer can also do the same using magic, Partner as well. Emeraldine will cover us and make us seem like a normal party because of how normal she looks, I comforted them. I dont think she looks normal. Muttered Laura. Shes way too bright! As if the hair on her head produced a halo of light, Said Takeshi. Huh? I do? Asked Emeraldine. Actually, now that I see you up close, you really look like some kind of heroic priestess elf from a novel, I said. A-A Novel? Are you sure you were not blessed by some god of light? Asked Lucifer. I-I didnt! I just evolved into this. Emeraldine replied. Well, no worries, dear, lets go in. If things dont work, we can always make a swift escape, I said. Youre overly confident as usual. But, fine, Sighed Lucifer. We stepped into the Adventurer Guild and were greeted by dozens of stares right away. ----- A Ghost Wants To Be An Adventurer?! PancakesWitch ----- Bonjour! I greeted everyone within the adventurer guild as they looked at us with intense stares. Bon- what? Muttered a guy near us as I pet his head. Agh! He disliked it, but I didnt care. We continued walking while I smiled brightly at everyone. But I was actually very nervous because there were so many people looking at us. There was a loud ruckus inside, but when we entered everything suddenly calmed down by way too much. Seriously, am I such a beauty? Our group made its way to the front as a girl with short purple hair and two horns popping from her head greeted us. Wait, horns?! Even Lucifer was left surprised. Welcome to the Adventurers Guild E-Erm, do you need something? She asked. Girl! Are you a Majin?! Asked Lucifer. M-Majin? A-Ah, some people think that because of my hair color but I am actually a sheep-kin beast-person See? The girl suddenly showed us the hooves of her feet as she was obviously not wearing shoes. Additionally, she had a fluffy tail on her back, popping out of her tight black pants. Oh We all sighed. We had thought, faintly, for a few seconds, that Majin were seen as people. P-Please dont say the name of Majin lightly around here Those people are considered monsters, and there are many extremists that might call you out if you ever show any interest in them, Said the girl. She wasnt rude but tried to warn us about other people who might get butthurt or toxic over us, saying the mere word Majin. But Maj- Gwuh! I covered Lucifers mouth before he was to say anything else. As I smiled back, Emeraldine moved before me. We came here to register I am already registered, but I lost my card, so I would like to get a new one and also change Jobs. These people too want to register and change Jobs afterward if it is possible, of course, Emeraldine spoke up. Oh, I see! Whats your name? Let me check if youre here ASked the receptionist, as she took out a strange artifact that resembled a Grimoire. The grimoire began to flash with many letters and lights that emerged from its pages. Emeraldine Verdantwood Naturia, Lets see Ah, there you are Very well you seem quite different, Said the receptionist. Ive undergone evolution recently But please keep this a secret, Whispered Emeraldine. E-Evolution? It is very rare for elves to evolve I see Very well. A new Adventurer Card would cost approximately ten gold coins We can also upgrade it if you have grown stronger, but we would require doing a test first. In addition, a high-rank quest could be completed if you feel like youre up for the task, Said the receptionist. E-Erm, well, I am fine with a new one for now. I can take a quest later, Said Emeraldine. Very well then. Emeraldine gave the girl ten gold coins, and then, the girl conjured some runes into another artifact, and a brand-new bronze card emerged out of it, shining brightly. It had the photo of Emeraldine on it, alongside her basic info and the letter F on it as she was an F-Rank Adventurer. The Job Changing Room is right to the left. Feel free to visit there, Said the girl. Thank you. Ill go after my friends are registered, Said Emeraldine. Okay then! Lets start with you, miss. Whats your complete name? Occupation? What are you good at? Magic, physical fighting, or are you a merchant looking for an adventurer license for trading opportunities and easier access to other duchies? Asked the girl, spitting so many questions it made my head spin. I am a magician. Good at shadow and dark magic. Names Maria Fuentes Belles You can call me Mary, I said. Maria Fuentes Belles Funny, that name is quite similar to something I have on the tip of my tongue. Said the girl. Must be your imagination, I said. Alright and done. To successfully register, you need to pass an exam with an instructor here. It is a small fight just so we can get a better look at the abilities you have and if theyre authentic. Got it? Said the girl. Yeah! Can you do the same with everyone else within our party so we can go take a test altogether? I asked. Sure thing! The girl quickly registered everyone. I had asked Partner if she wanted a new name, but she refused reluctantly so she was registered as Partner Fuentes Belles. W-What a peculiar name but oh well, there had been people named Potato before. Farmer families often have a very bad naming sense, Muttered the girl. T-There was someone named Potato?! I asked. Y-Yeah I guess I am not as terrible with naming as I thought There are actually people much worse than me. Lucifer registered himself with his two-family names, which were Drakon and Darkscale, which were also unusual. After that, the kids were also registered. She had said that anyone above 12 could register, so we said they were both 13, but just small. And surprisingly, it worked when the girl heard the two kids talk very eloquently. After we were all ready, we moved towards the test area which was in the backyard of the guild building. It was actually right next to an open field of grass with a few trees here and there. A tall and muscular instructor greeted us; it was a half-giant man with the name of Borgodonn. He was around two meters tall, a true behemoth in height. These are the new recruits? Very well, one by one, you come and fight me. Use everything you have, no problem. Ill go all out from the start, too, so dont hold back if you dont want to die, hahaha. He laughed. He was rather malicious looking. Dont mind him. He might seem evil, but hes a kind-hearted man that always brings me ice cream, Said the girl who we learned was named Vennia. V-Vennia! Stop telling that to every recruit! O-Our relationship should be strictly hidden from the public! Said the man. But dear, I dont like when you act too intimidating. Sighed Vennia. I-It is so they can grow some courage! Shouted the half-giant man. I guess theyre a cute couple. ----- Demolishing The Adventurer’s Entrance Test PancakesWitch ----- What a cute couple! Now kiss! I announced. S-Shut up! You! Come at me! Roared the instructor as he had enough and got pissed off. Alright! We are starting then? I asked, walking near him. Yeah, you can come whenever you want to, He said confidently. His entire physique was suddenly shrouded in a powerful magical aura that enhanced his muscles and strength. Also, his blade shone with a red-hot aura, as if it was being covered in searing flames I checked his stats. He was as strong as a D-Rank monster, perhaps one at its peak. He was definitely on the stronger side and was probably an instructor within that Rank too. Dont really have to, I muttered as I waved my staff and shadow tentacles emerged from within his own shadow. While we spoke, I also extended my shadows almost as thin as invisible threads and connected them to his, taking over his own shadow and using them against him A pretty easy and normal trick to do. W-What the?! The half-giant man had shadow tentacles wrapped around his legs and torso, and he used his blade to try and cut them off by force But my shadows were stronger! I just infused more mana into them and reinforced them through [Materialization]. S-Such strong magic power. Vennia muttered as she was extremely surprised. Uagh! I cant even move! Cried the half-giant as he suddenly overcharged his weapon with mana and threw a powerful slashing attack at me. CLASH! I stopped the attack by generating a materialization of shadows, a Shadow Barrier! Oi! That could easily kill a normal rookie, you know? I-Impossible How strong are you?! He muttered, completely dumbfounded. Pretty strong! I flew towards him and used my bare fist to knock him out with a nice punch to the chin. I am actually weak physically, but hes a whole rank below me, so lets see how far I can go. I reinforced and materialized my fist even more before punching him in the chin. CLASH! Gryyeeggh! Boom! He fell onto the ground, barely keeping his consciousness awake. I have to praise his resiliency! Must be the giant blood in his veins. Aghh You pass He sighed. Thats what I wanted to hear! I moved aside from the scene while cleaning my hands. Lady Mary, how strong are you exactly?! Asked Vennia. Huh? I dont know, I shrugged. I better not reveal any more than she has already seen. You dont know? She asked, still dumbfounded. Emeraldine healed the instructor as he gained a second wind and began to pretend that the humiliation he suffered beforehand never happened. Partner was next, and as he looked at her, he smiled cheekily. She only held her spear with a single hand and didnt even have armor. So youre a spear fighter? But youre not even wearing armor? Asked the half-giant as he rushed towards her and attacked, using his blade to unleash slashing attacks at her continuously. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! However, Partner moved at a supernatural speed, evading his attacks incredibly precisely, and she even jumped onto the tip of his blade and used the handle of the spear to hit the half-giants neck. CLASH! Uaggh! Boom! The hit was strong, and he fell onto his face, which slammed against the ground. T-This You pass He gave up more quickly than with me. The truth was, Partner contained herself by quite a lot. Most of her attacks are very deadly, such as absorbing blood, or slashing with the blade of the spear, which is venomous, so she did a pretty good job at not endangering the life of the man. He was healed once more as Lucifer was next. The half-giant finally thought he could showcase some more of his strength as Lucifer looks like a skinny and small man in comparison to him. However, the result came quicker than we expected. Lucifer punched his stomach, and the half-giant groaned in pain before falling to the ground. He had hit a special sensitive spot he knew humanoids possessed within the stomach, almost crushing a core of the half-giants Mana Veins. After that came the kids and here we all got a bit nervous as they were going to definitely lose. The instructor allowed them both to fight at the same time because he underestimated them, as they were mere children. I mean, their stats were clearly below him and all, and they were kids, so it was realistic for him to assume that but surprisingly, the two knew how to fight at least one big man, and thanks to the weakened state of Lucifer who Emeraldine didnt heal this time, the kids used their abilities to make him trip to the ground. Takeshi used his fishing rod to wrap the thread around his legs and tightly pressed them together. After that, Julia used her detonation to blast an explosive punch on the mans crotch. Thankfully, he didnt suffer any damage to his libido, but the pain knocked him to the ground. Hopefully he can still have children later. The entire performance left the two speechless, and we got ourselves our Adventurer Medals faster than we expected. And after that came another thing, moving to the Job Changing Room. It was nice to know that the Adventurers in this world cant actually see your status because well, they simply can''t. Although there are ways to see other peoples personal info, only a part of their true status can be given out, and the Adventurer Guild here had no such methods as they simply registered what they saw you were capable of. And to rank up, you had to complete higher ranked missions, as simple as that. I moved to the Job Changing Room, a small room that had a sphere made of emerald crystal. It looked plain and ordinary, but Vennia said that just touching it would allow a person to see a list of Jobs they could change into, which was based on their specializations. It is said that Monsters cannot change Jobs and that it was a gift of the Gods to the humans/demi-humans (and this is why they need a crystal to access it), so I dont know if this will work or not But here goes nothing! ----- Can A Ghost Change Jobs? PancakesWitch ----- It is said that Jobs are a gift from the Gods for the humans/demi-humans who need to fight against monsters and fiends generated by the fragments of the Dark God and also from the dungeons made by the Chaos God. Due to this, it is believed that monsters cant change Jobs, and it has also been proven when tamers had tried using their monsters to change Jobs. Ive investigated as much within the memories of the souls Ive eaten, and Ive gotten as much info from them to assume such things. But well, Majin are also believed to be monsters, and they can still change Jobs. Thats because theyre actually demi-humans, and they do indeed count as people and not monsters, even if they can evolve and have varied morphologies but the same can be said of beast-kin as they come in all shapes and sizes. Even giants are considered people, and those can go up to three and a half meters which is inhumane. So can I get a job, or not? Technically, I shouldnt be able to as I am a Ghostan Undead Monster. We dont count as any kind of humanoid being, despite looking and once being a person. I dont know if Lucifers Dragon race, Partners Dhampir race, or the kid''s Homunculus race count, but Im hoping they can. Dragons were not seen as monsters before, so they might be part of the demi-human race, but theyre way too ancient and rare to guess it accurately. Dhampirs could be seen as a lesser version of Vampires, which are Majin, and can change Jobs, I believe. So yeah, perhaps, or perhaps not? And homunculus I really dont know. But here goes nothing. I touched the crystal and Ah Nothing? Come on! I angrily slapped the crystal, and it suddenly released a strong shock of green-colored lightning into my hands. ZAP! SPARK! The lightning covered my body as I felt a sudden shock of power reach my very soul! Right after that, I saw several holographic windows emerge before me [The [System] Unique Skill special function has been activated] [Analyzing, Extracting, Copying, and Pasting new [System Function]] Wait, hold on! Whats going on now? I had almost forgotten that my own System is not exactly the same as everyone, who can only see their status through something named Soul Records or whatever. I dont remember the full name now! FLASH! The bright light of the crystal suddenly encompassed my body. I couldnt help but scream a little bit in surprise. Uwaaah! [Success] [Job System] has been analyzed and assimilated] [You can now change Jobs] Huh? That easy? Ding! [Available Job Options] [Apprentice Warrior], [Apprentice Swordsman], [Apprentice Magician], [Apprentice Witch], [Witch], [Dark Witch], [Misfortune Wielder], [Cursed Witch], [Dark Warrior], [Death Warrior], [Apprentice Necromancer], [Necromancer], [Death Witch], [Magic Swordsman], [Cursed Swordsman], [Black Blade Magician], [Witch of Cursed Artifacts], [Black Summoner], [Death Mage Apprentice], [Death Mage], [Darkness Incarnated], [Shadow Spirit], [Abyssal Blackness Esper], [Undead Queen], [] I suddenly fell onto my butt as I saw a massive window pop up in front of my face. There were dozens of Jobs that emerged out of thin air, and all of them were available for me! What! I saw there was more than just Undead Queen as I continued browsing down the list, and it seemed to never come to an end and then finally, I arrived a the bottom, noticed I saw there were at least 40 Jobs. What do I pick? And wait, did my System just absorb the crystals effect and copy-paste it? I guess thats a good way to completely ignore the rules. Okay, lets calm down. I crossed my legs and sat down on the ground, glancing at the system window and beginning to think what to pick. Jobs in this world work rather peculiarly. Theyre similar to equipping something. So you pick a Job and then equip it. The job itself will grant a stat boost, a passive ability, and an enhancement over a certain thing or things, and then specific skills to that job. However, when you take away that Job, all those extra bonus stats disappear as you replace it for others that might give you something else, which you might hold more favor for. There are also enhancements to already existing Jobs, which can often emerge. Theyre called Job Rank Up, and theyre just better and upgraded versions of existing Jobs. Usually, people use their jobs quite a lot, and due to this, it is impossible to just go on accumulating Jobs for extra massive stats and new skills endlessly. You have to be decisive in what you want! And there are so many that Im having trouble picking Nai wa Okay, lets calm down and think. What do I need? Using my blade? I have fun using it, but I am not exactly a blade user, so it is more of a side job yeah I dont want it. My magic? Yes, I can use both shadow/darkness and death magic to act as a necromancer. Also, these are my two strongest powers What should I upgrade from these two? Darkness? Death? Or both? If I only pick one, I can specialize more and grow stronger in that direction but if I dont, both might not grow as fast at the same time. Nonetheless, it is better to pick both anyways as there are some insane Jobs that encompass both of them. After a few more minutes of pondering this deeply, I decided to pick one of the latest and, therefore, strongest and most advanced Jobs there was on the list. Ding! [You changed Jobs into [Dark Shadow Spectral Death Spirit Queen]!] [All your stats have increased as long as you keep this Job active] [You gained the passive effect of [Darkness and Death Damage +1000] [You gained the passive effect of [Darkness and Death Magic Spell Casting Speed +100%] [You learned the [Elemental Spirit: Lv--] Characteristic Skill] [You learned the [Spirit Queen: Lv1] Title Skill] [You learned the [Spirit Mediator: Lv1] Title Skill] [You learned the [Spirit Summon: Lv1] Normal Skill] [You learned the [Shadow and Death Domain: Lv1] Normal Skill] A big ass Job name, but one that came with several bonuses and Skills! Delicious ----- Isn’t the Name Dark Shadow Spectral Death Spirit Queen” A Bit Too Long? PancakesWitch ----- I had changed Jobs through the wondrous power of my System Unique Skill! Now, what should I do? Check my status, of course! Additionally, I got a bunch of new Skills and powered-up stats from it. Jobs are truly wondrous things. But I guess I am cheating because I shouldnt have a Job anyway as I am a monster and all Haha Nevertheless, I picked up the latest Job there was on the list, one strong-sounding and very long. [Name: [Maria Fuentes Belles] [Race: [Pandora] [Job: [Dark Shadow Spectral Death Spirit Queen] [Level: [15/40] [EXP: 23806/28000] [Rank: [C+] [Status: [Strengthened, Cursed] [HP: [1220/1220 -> 2220/2220] [MP: [5200/5200 -> 7200/7200]{+2720} [Attack: [660 -> 1060]{+100} [Defense: [530 -> 930] [Magic: [4800 -> 6800]{+2617} [Agility: [1450 -> 2450]{+575} Characteristic Skills: [Unique Skill: Supreme Magic] [Unique Skill: Mana Siphon] [Unique Skill: System] [Unique Skill: Goddess] (Sealed) [Undead: Lv--] [Dark Element: Lv--] [Death Element: Lv--] [Elemental Spirit: Lv--] [Fiend Language: Lv6] [Shadow Sneak: Lv7] [Abyssal Body: Lv4] Resistance Skills: [Status Effect Immunity: Lv--] [Magic Damage Resistance: Lv7] [Darkness Resistance: Lv6] [Fear Resistance: Lv5] [Elemental Resistance: Lv4] Normal Skills: [Ghost Touch: Lv7] [Lesser Curse: Lv7] [Life Drain: Lv7] [Possession: Lv6] [Dark Sphere: Lv8] [Dark Gale: Lv7] [Shadow Spear Arrow: Lv5] [Materialized Shadow Barrier: Lv1] (New!) [Shadow Manipulation: Lv6] [Shadow Storage: Lv5] [Undead Healing: Lv4] [Fake Life: Lv6] [Erase Presence: Lv3] [Soul Eater: Lv3] [Stealth: Lv7] [Summon: Lv3] [Aura of Famine: Lv2] [Disease and Poison Creation: Lv2] [Pandoras Box: Lv2] [Materialization: Lv4] [Cooking: Lv1] [Hunting: Lv1] [Blade Slash: Lv1] [Spirit Summon: Lv1] [Shadow and Death Domain: Lv1] Title Skills: [The Dark Witch: Lv--] [Dungeon Conqueror: Lv--] [Big Game Slayer: Lv--] [Taboo Mark: Lv--] [Bringer of Misfortune: Lv5] [Undead Queen: Lv4] [Evil of the World: Lv2] [Pickpocket: Lv2] [Apprentice Swordsman: Lv1] [Spirit Queen: Lv1] [Spirit Mediator: Lv1] Divine Protections: [Hels Divine Protection] I see! So I got more stats- What in the goddamn?! I got so many stats! Is this legal?! Is this really okay?! Am I allowed to do this?! Ahh Oh, thank you, gods! I will forever be indebted! Ive heard that higher Jobs with higher tiers/ranks give more stat bonuses, but this is a bit too much for a humble little ghost girl like me raised on a little farm in my graveyard. But anyways! The higher, the better. Nonetheless, where the heck do all these stats come from? The crystal of job changing seems to be powerful. It has influenced my system somehow and added up the surplus power required to enhance my total ability. But the thing is, a Jobs power is borrowed, so if I take it out, it will come out. Well, not so borrowed as it is still part of my own power, and I own it, so it could be said it is something like equipment and won''t stay permanently to infinitely stack up. But if I can somehow upgrade this Job and get an even higher-tiered one, I can get even more stats out of it and perhaps new skills. Anyways, moving on, lets see what these new Skills are all about. I am quite excited. It seems that I have become a spirit Or something like that The [Elemental Spirit: Lv--] Characteristic Skill is like all other Characteristic skills. Theyre like part of my very being. Its strange for such a thing to come out of a Job that can be ultimately taken out. It is as if Jobs can affect the nature of a very being, but they can be easily taken out and reverted back into that very being. I had not noticed it before, but my body feels more real and, simultaneously, more mystical, as if mana is magically overflowing from all around me. How wondrous This Skill pretty much makes me an Elemental Spirit as much as the Undead Skill makes me Undead. Then theres the [Spirit Queen: Lv1] Title Skill This Title Skill seems to work similar to [Undead Queen] as it helps me have a higher affinity with Spirits that I might encounter. I might even have some authority over them, but I dont think it goes as far as [Undead Queen] where I can quite literally force Undead to obey me. The [Spirit Mediator: Lv1] Title Skill helps me mediate with spirits. Normal folks cant just find one and speak to them, even less search for them, so this aids me in all of this. Maybe I could find some spirits now. Or maybe not I dont know. The [Spirit Summon: Lv1] Normal Skill is an interesting one. No, it doesnt let me summon a spirit out of thin air. I can only do so if I find a spirit to make a contract with, which might be hard as I dont know how to call one Perhaps I could ask Emeraldine for help. And lastly, the [Shadow and Death Domain: Lv1] Normal Skill lets me create a domain of Shadow and Death element around a few meters around me, which temporarily enhances the power of Shadow and Death magic by around +100 per level. Also, it helps me expand my shadow and death abilities, my senses, and more within it. And even Undead that belongs to my side can receive a bonus to their power by just standing on this. Considering all the above, it could be said Ive acquired a substantial increase in my power, and Ive totally grown stronger. Though, I hope my allies, who are monsters, have a turn at changing their jobs. But honestly, the only one I am concerned about is Lucifer. I believe Partner should be able to, but Lucifer is no longer a true dragon but an undead monster, right? Huhh Well, lets hope for the best. I walked outside the room as my allies suddenly noticed the slight changes in my appearance. Partner looked at me with eyes wide open, and so did Lucifer, Emeraldine, and everyone else. Maria Have you become some sort of spirit? Youre so mystical all out of the sudden! Said Emeraldine. I am? Well, kind of. I muttered. ----- Can I Get A Spirit? PancakesWitch ----- Master Are you a spirit? You got prettier! Said Partner before quickly hugging me tightly. Uagh! Okay, relax! It can be that much, right? I asked. W-Wow Miss Maria, w-what kind of Job did you change into? Asked Vennia. Huhh I prefer to keep that a secret. I said. O-oh alright, But definitely something changed. Said Emeraldine. She looked at me with even more fascination than her original gaze. It felt a bit overwhelming, especially her strong eyes. I do know that elves have an affixation with spirits, but I am not a complete one! To think that this Job thing that humans have would give you such power, Said Lucifer in a lower voice. Nows our turn, right? Asked Laura. Can we go? Can we go? Asked Takeshi. Sure, sure, go-ahead, kids, I said. After this short meeting where we preferred to leave questions and answers for later, everyone went to slowly change Jobs. The kids went first, and they were indeed able to change Jobs. They chose Jobs that were related to what they could do, so Takeshi selected the Fisherman Job, while Laura selected something named Explosion Magician Quite interesting. Meanwhile, Emeraldine changed Jobs into something of even greater status than her current one, which was Spiritual Archer or something. I didnt see it in detail. Partner also changed Jobs into something fitting of her spear techniques, and Lucifer also was able to change Jobs surprisingly. So everyone got a bit stronger. After this, we decided to finally move out of the Adventurer Guild. We were all G-Rank Adventurers, with only Emeraldine being an F-Rank, but it''s not like we were too worried about that. The evening was already approaching, so we decided to take a quick rest stop in a nearby plaza with many people. There was a large fountain where water came spurting out, and birds gathered around to drink and bathe in it. We sat down there, and I took out some ice cream cones from my Inventory, and we enjoyed some ice cream while relaxing. Soon, the night slowly approached, and thats where the moment of truth would come. But overall, this day has been pretty nice as we did all sorts of things and enjoyed ourselves. Perhaps it was just a day, but it definitely felt longer to me. I am happy to have all these friends at my side, so I dont feel alone. Partner, Lucifer, Emeraldine, these two kids, Laura and Takeshi. We are already a big party Oh well, I shouldnt ride off the rails yet. Theres a lot to do before we settle down as an official party of sorts, and the kids just got here yesterday. We still have yet to clear their story arc! Ah, I read so many novels that even stuff like this I end up associating with stories Maria, what kind of job did you get? P-Please tell me! Asked Emeraldine. Youve been keeping it a secret for some time now, Muttered Lucifer. Spirit Job? Partner asked. Ugh, fine, Ill tell you my Job is Dark Shadow Spectral Death Spirit Queen. Its a long name, I said. D-Dark Shadow Spectral Death Spirit Queen?! Thats certainly the longest Job name Ive ever heard! Emeraldine shouted with surprise. What does this mean? Has she really become a Spirit? Muttered Lucifer once again. I did get the Characteristic Skill named Elemental Spirit if that answers your question, I responded pridefully. Ppffff! What? So you really became an elemental spirit of Dark and Death Element. Plus, youre also a Pandora Ghost?! Shouted Lucifer. Lower your tone, you stupid lizard! I said as I smacked his head. SMACK! Ugh! Incredible Maria never ceases to amaze me! Youre really going to become a spirit now And with a Job! Exclaimed Emeraldine. Cool! Shouted Partner. Eeeh I think youre exaggerating it a bit. Whats so different from before? Just some powerups, but thats all. Nothing really changed, I said. W-What? Of course, it changed! Spirits are creatures of the world. By becoming one, youve already become part of the world too, Master! Said Emeraldine. I believe elves are a bit too fanatical of spirits Youre once again exaggerating. It is not that much. I sighed. B-But! Cut it out Master is fine as she is! Said Partner. A-Ah I-I am not trying to say shes different or something I mean, she is now, but- Ugh, okay, maybe I am going a bit too far, Emeraldine admitted with a sigh. You elves are always so obsessed with spirits and nature. Said Lucifer. W-Well, whats wrong with that? Asked Emeraldine. Nothing, nothing. Lets not make discussions out of nowhere, alright? Everything is fine here, I said. Anyways, I wanted to know how I can find spirits to contract, Emeraldine. I did get something like a Spirit Summon and Spirit Mediator Skills, I said. Y-You did?! Then it could be possible to find a spirit for you to make a contract with! Spirits usually only emerge near those they have an affinity with so if Maria is Shadow and Death affinity, sprits of both elements should emerge, Emeraldine explained. I see Erm, how the heck do I do that? I asked. Hmm Usually, I called upon my spirits in the forest Can you see them now, now that youre one? Asked Emeraldine. Suddenly, two glowing lights emerged at each shoulder of this pretty elf. One light was yellowish-gold, while the other was emerald-green. The yellow-gold light slowly took shape, resembling a shiny star, while the green one resembled a green seed with a leaf on top. Oooh! So these are spirits! I said as I approached them, but the two seemed to dislike me and fear me. They even hid behind Emeraldine. Huh? You guys dont like me? I asked. W-well, one is a spirit of light and the other of nature. Your primary elements are powerful, Maria, and theyre the opposites of Light and Nature, which are Dark and Death. Emeraldine explained to me once again. Oh I guess I wont be getting any Light or Nature Spirits. ----- Getting A Spirit Is Harder Than You Imagine ----- Spirits! I cant get spirits! Well, I can, but only of Dark and Death Element. The thing is, Spirits of such elements are extremely rare. And no, you wont find them just laying over a corpse you just killed, or at night all of a sudden. Spirits are very special. Emeraldine said that Life and Nature Spirits are the most common as such elements cover the entire world. So, where there is a forest, there will be spirits wandering around. After that, in areas with tons of earthy resources and ores, such as mountains, earth spirits can be found. Also, there are the volcanic lands where fire spirits might emerge or in forests that were suddenly engulfed in fire. In the skies where strong winds come forth, or tornadoes and storms fall asunder, wind and thunder spirits might emerge here and there. Meanwhile, light spirits can be found where the light bathes life, dancing around the sunlight. Lastly, water spirits can be found in any old enough river, lake, or even ocean. Meanwhile, it is rumored that space and time spirits also exist, and even other elements, such as mind spirits, but such phenomena are not so natural, and it is hard to find them anywhere. And thenDark and death spirits which are pretty hard to find. I would guess that in a very ancient graveyard at night, there could be chances for Death and Dark Element Spirits to emerge But even then, it might not be as likely, Said Emeraldine. So I can just sit here and bathe in the moonlight and wait for one to come? I asked. W-Well, you have a lot of Skills regarding them and even a Spirit Queen Title Skill So perhaps they might actively come to you, o-only if theyre compatible, though. My own spirits fear your presence too much because you encompass the complete opposite of their elements, Maria-sama, Said Emeraldine. I see I sighed. Perhaps your titles make it so youre more liked by those compatible and more disliked by those incompatible quite troublesome, Muttered Lucifer. Ugh yeah I sighed once more. Cheer up, nee-sama! Youre still pretty strong, and arent you a spirit yourself? You can be your own spirit, Said Takeshi. Aw, Takeshi, youre such a sweetheart. I pet Takeshis little horn. Anyways, what are spirits for? Asked Laura. Theyre very important. They can help you conjure magic you cant use normally, act as an expansion of your own senses, bring you mana from the environment that they can absorb naturally, tell you things you cant see, such as the health of plants, and even conjure spells for you! Exclaimed Emeraldine. Ooh Theyre pretty useful then, Said Laura. Indeed they are! They evolve into stronger versions of themselves at higher levels and can materialize to aid you in battle as Spirit Familiars. This is how you use your Spirit Summon Skill. Mine cannot fight properly yet in their true forms, but their assistance is enough They have been with me since I was a child Even in my harshest and most traumatic moments, they were there to help me recover. Without them I dont know how much many pieces mind wouldve been shattered into. Sighed Emeraldine. She perhaps recalled the things she went through as a slave I guess spirits can also be friends. I see! So theyre pretty special. Those two little things on your shoulders. I said as I poked one with my finger, and it cried a bit in panic. Hehe, indeed! They helped me hunt monsters and forage in the forest until I gained enough EXP to evolve and grow stronger so I could be of more use to Maria-sama. She said. Hmm, your words only make me want to have my own spirit even more now! Ugh, well, maybe we can give it a shot at the graveyard in this town, but tonight night we are striking, so we better not do this for now and prepare for whats to come, I said. Wise words coming from you. Youre absolutely right, the night is already almost here, and most folks are walking back home. Only some might remain within the pubs and bars so this is an excellent opportunity to wait a bit more and then strike! Said Lucifer. By the way, wheres the laboratory? Asked Emeraldine. Oh, the kids told me. It is near the house of one of the pigs I have come to kill. Come to think about it, it seems that all three of them are colluding with Vampires incidentally! How funny it is as it seems like this entire conspiracy of my familys death was made by the Vampires because every human involved in it is also colluding with those bloodsuckers, I said. Y-Yeah, I guess it is all connected in the end To think that it would come down to such a thing. I suppose it is even more justified to just kill them, Sighed Emeraldine. Kill! Lets kill them to avenge your family, master! Well make them suffer! Suffer! Chanted Partner, her crimson-red eyes shining brightly as she began to drool over what their flavor of blood might be. I am always up for killing some disgraceful humans, Said Lucifer, his nails growing sharper. I am also up to it! Though our level is too low to do anything significant, Muttered Laura. Maybe we can cheer from the sidelines? Takeshi suggested. Your help is enough; youve told us everything, which has also helped us figure out a lot of things you guys will grow stronger in due time, but for now, youll stay inside of my Shadow Storage for security, alright? I said. Inside your shadows?! T-Thats a bit spooky. Said Laura. Well, it is also the safest place Right, nee-sama? Asked Takeshi. Takeshi, youre a very smart and precious little boy! Of course, nee-samas shadow is the most secure! Even if it''s dark, cold, and a bit scary, there are a lot of Undead friends inside, and they will all personally greet you and keep you company! I said. Yaaay! Takeshi exclaimed with delight. Uhhh Laura groaned. ----- Infiltrating The Mysterious Laboratory ----- I want some spirits, but I seem to not have the knack for the brighter ones such as Life and Nature, which is rather sad, as theyre also the most common. But theres no point in getting sad over it! I can still get Dark and Death ones, the rarest of the bunch Ugh. Maybe I could get other elements too? Although your affinity is usually what decides which spirits will like you But Emeraldine did say that slightly proficient spirit magicians were able to communicate and befriend spirits of even elements they were not compatible with and bring forth the power of elements they could not conjure. It was interesting to think that such a thing could be possible. Maybe I could find a rare Light or Nature spirit willing to become my friend? And even then, perhaps a Water spirit? Or a thunder spirit? Maybe a wind spirit? Or a fire spirit? A space and time spirit? Or I dont know anymore. I can only hope for one to like me Maybe I will have to show off my enchanting beauty to them! Perhaps showing off some more of my phantasmal white skin could work. I could even change my clothes into a sexy swimsuit to attract their attention! Thats what spirits like, right? Who am I kidding? Perhaps they will just call me a thot and ignore me! Agh. Well, not like it matters now. We wont be getting any spirit chasing done any time soon. We still have things to do, such as killing a crazy scientist and me getting a ton of EXP out of it. Ah, and of course, I must fulfill my destiny and avenge my parents. There are three little piggies here that require to be slaughtered to feed me EXP. I might as well steal their belongings and increase the level of my Pickpocket Title Skill as well, cause why not. Now, as the sun slowly sunk beneath the horizon, we quickly walked away from the plaza and moved to a dark alley, where the kids quickly entered my shadows, and so did everyone else. I merged with the shadows of the entire duchy, and now that it was night, everything was dark, and I could move incredibly easily through Shadow Sneak. I used it to dive into the shadows and darkness as if they were mere water to me. I swam through it and moved towards my destiny, the house of the Duke of Benettina, Duke Roberto Albraun! Of course, I wasnt going to kill him right away, so he should be thankful I was letting him live a few more hours. I was going to go to the underground facility right below his ass, the massive underground dungeon-like area that was made here way before he was born. Well, specifically, he made a massive manor atop it and then went to live there to mask the obvious experimentation facility ran by a crazed Vampire Halfling underneath. According to the coordinates of the kids, we should be arriving in just a few more seconds. Moving through shadows is incredibly efficient and fast! I can even skip entire buildings and pass through them thanks to my phantasmal nature. In fact, the combination of Shadow Sneak and my phantasmal body, which can pass through physical objects, is enough to let me go anywhere I want! And thats quite literally! Flash! Flash! Flash! Fuhahahaha! Nothing can stand before me! FLASH! In an instant, I was already inside of the Dukes territory. His beautiful garden was adorned with many colorful flowers, which seemed to greet me. So this is where this aristocratic pig lives, I see! There was nobody around but a few guards. This Duke is a loner that has no family and seems to only please himself using slaves which is what Ive heard. I phased down below the ground, completely ignoring logic as I trespassed the floor itself and reached down below in an instant. There was no point in going around stairs or doors if I can just rush down below, right? It may cost tons of mana to pass through so much physical mass, but the entire Dukes army of soldiers up there gave me enough mana to achieve this relatively quickly. I reached down below and found myself in the middle of a super strange and lugubrious lab. There was a massive section where many tables were spread around. There were papers everywhere and flasks filled with strange liquids. A massive one even had fleshy bits, such as organs, and more floating in all kinds of glasses. I saw a few Homunculus in the making as well, and though just a few, they looked like horrid fleshy abominations. I might as well put their souls out of their misery while I am here. This room was the largest and perhaps where he did his experiments so! I waved my hands as I merely willed it, and using my authority as the Undead Queen, I grabbed the souls of all the unfortunate abominations in this place and gathered them all inside of my Shadow Storage. Emeraldine then immediately began to purify them and let them move to the afterlife. They dont deserve to be eaten but to be freed from this suffering and their fleshy cages, as I am a benevolent woman. I shall purify you (with Emeraldines help), so you can have a happy afterlife! The souls began to slowly fade away into the afterlife as they flew into another plane of existence within this world. Perhaps they can reincarnate later, and have better lives. I didnt want to cage them into being Undead, as they didnt seem as resentful as the other souls I often found in the forest which most of the time are those of monsters that died brutally. All these souls were those of people this damn bastard had captured and then inserted into these fleshy abominations so these creatures could be born. They were all people, probably former slaves. Now, in just a few seconds, I freed all those within this room and decided to plunder everything else, throwing anything he had here into my Inventory! Bwahaha! Mine! Mine! Mine! I was going absolutely mental as I gave into my devilish greed. Huh?! Whos there?! The voice of an old man resonated behind the massive metallic door in front of me. ----- There’s Nothing Better Than Sitting And Enjoying The Massacre ----- Incidentally, after freeing all these dozens of souls from their fleshy prisons and purifying their souls using the help of Emeraldine, I got a lot of EXP. Does this count as killing them? I guess so! Ding! [Youve earned 37250 EXP] [Your Level has increased from level 15 to level 16!] Oh damn, it even gave me a level. Now I feel a bit bad for what I did Did I really do the right thing?! Oh well, whatever. After that, I began to put everything I could see into my Inventory. Even the most useless of garbage was now part of my property and I could see that my Pickpocket Title Skill was actually rising in level! Bwahaha! Mine! Mine! Mine! I was going absolutely mental as I gave in to my devilish greed. Huh?! Whos there?! The voice of an old man resonated behind the massive metallic door in front of me. Huh? Did he find me out already? Time to sneak around! I quickly went back to meddling with the shadows as the metallic door that was sealed shut suddenly opened wide. A dozen of strange chimeric beasts came out of it, roaring and then sniffing the entire place for any trails left behind. Ohhh, these are quite the dedicated EXP Bags! And they do look juicy. There were around 9 C+ Ranked Chimeric Beasts, while the other six or so were C- or even D+ Nothing that we cannot handle nor massacre. However, much like we did with the goblins, I wanted to nourish these kids and let them leech off EXP from killing weakened creatures, so I decided to capture them all alive. The older mans voice was far away and by expanding my senses, I could hear him commanding more beasts. The beast with the best smelling sense found me already, but it was too late. I expanded my shadows around them and formed a myriad of tentacles, wrapping around the variedly-shaped creatures while absorbing all of their Mana continuously, which only fed into this ridiculous technique using [Shadow Manipulation]. GROOARR?! RAAAAARR! GRRYYARRR! Hehe, youre all caught up between my deadly webs! [Shadow Manipulation] is overpowered! Even more, if we fuse it with [Supreme Magic] to boot, and there are no problems with Mana cost when I have Mana Siphon to absorb the Mana of my enemies. I called out the gang as Lucifer, Partner, Emeraldine, and Kuro emerged from my shadows, immediately attacking the monsters with everything they had. I had immobilized the creatures for them, so it was up to them to deal enough damage! SLASH! Partner used her spear to pierce through the stomach of a lion-like chimera with several heads of different creatures such as goats, lizards, and the like, and then filled it with venom through the spears effect. Barely hanging onto its life, the beast was thrown inside my Shadow Storage, where a group of Undead I had stored inside, mostly Ravens and Bone Beasts, plus the pair of kids who ganged up on it until its last breath. An army of Undead is not good without strong Undead! So the best thing I can do is begin leveling up my other troops aside from my main party. Ive already made some simple skeletons using monster bones we had hunted, which became Bone Beasts after fusing various skeleton piles together into an undead, and now they were all ravaging the living chimera until its last breath. They all gained tons of shared EXP, and I could see that the kids also leveled up a couple of times straight away. Of course, this is a little incentive. After a couple more levels, theyll be ready to fight more confidently by themselves, so they can gain battle experience that doesnt consist in just ganging up on powerful beasts to increase their stats through leveling up. ROAR! Lucifer roared fiercely as he used his draconic claws to slash through a large snake-like hydra with limbs of lizards stuck to it. It also had a poisonous stinger similar to that of a bug. The creature was a D+ Ranked Chimera, and our beloved dragons claws were then enough to slash through its scale armor. He sliced its ribs and then sliced it in half. Surprisingly, the monster continued to live after that, ready to be butchered by the rookies down below. Without further ado, I threw it down the shadow pit as the twins and the Undead I had stockpiled began to have an EXP feast. Once more, another beast was thrown inside right after courtesy of Partner. This one resembled a giraffe with the head of a lizard and the claws of a lion. I dont know how this stupid scientist thought this was a good idea of a design. It looked horrendous. The monster was left crippled by Partner and then quickly massacred by those inside the shadow storage. I could feel within all the chimera beast a core of dark magic, probably a failed version of the one the kids had, which was much more perfected into their systems, while the cores these chimeras leaked too much magic energy and looked painfully inefficient. Normal monsters have Magic Crystals, but Chimera are like monsters artificially made using parts of beasts and monsters that already died and were revived as one, therefore, they lack a magical organ that helps them at regulating mana and using magic But with these shitty Dark God Fragment Cores, it was possible for these monsters to be able to get their magic going, although not as efficient as real monsters. I kept throwing them into my Shadow Storage as they massacred them down there. It was going to be pretty hard to get a challenge out of this as I had gotten way too overpowered with my new job, and we were honestly a big group of strong guys all around. I helped out by making my Shadow Tentacles as sharp as Shadow Arrow Spears, and piercing the monsters bodies, so it could be even easier to kill them for the rookies. The massacre continued. It feels good to just sit here to relax and slaughter for once. ----- Against An Army Of Chimeras! ----- Flashing Beam! Emeraldine used her Holy Light Magic to release a flashing beam of light which impacted one of the beasts and threw it to the ground. She then summoned plants that started to set root inside of its wounds, making the beast agonize in pain. GROAR! Also, just as I was about to save her from a giant leopard-like chimera, she was protected by her own magic as a massive shield made of hardened wood bark. The massive shield hit the leopard in the face, throwing it to the ground for Emeraldines magic to finish it off. And thats the last one, which was slain half a minute after inside of my Shadow Storage. Right after that, I got tons of EXP accumulated from the kills. I just captured them and damaged them, but the EXP was still generous enough to grace me. Ding! [Calculating EXP gained] [You gained 120000 EXP!] [Your Level has increased from Level 16 to Level 17!] [Your Level has increased from Level 17 to Level 18!] [Your Level has increased from Level 18 to Level 19!] [EXP: 21056/38000] Wow, three levels straight away! Good! We are making progress now! Now only 21 levels before my next evolution Hahh looks distant enough. Maria, we have cleansed everything here. Should we continue? Asked Lucifer. He was in his dragon form, and through morphing abilities, he could change his size even to fit this cramped underground place. Yeah, there seems to be more activity going on ahead of our path, so Lets get straight to the core of the problem, I said. We had to hurry, or the old man might end up running away from our grasp, and I am not going to let a Vampire go that was involved in the whole conspiracy that took down my family. Even if indirectly, hes still at fault for the whole chimera experiments and using the souls of people that had died from other worlds in here through weird summoning rituals Caging kids is not a good thing, man. Even if you created them, that doesnt make you the owner of their lives. Thats not how human rights work. We left the room and reached the damp corridors of the facility, which were rather tight. There were many small rooms everywhere, where we found even more experimental things going on, or just storages filled with lots of magical items. Y-You filthy invaders! Youve just entered my hideout somehow But I wont let you go now Youre all going to die here and become my damn chimeras later! And give me back those damn kids! The voice of a typical clich crazy scientist resonated across the entire underground. I couldnt see him anywhere, so I assumed he used some artifact to speak to us from a long distance. And then, we felt the presence of over twenty chimeric beasts rushing here from all the other corridors connecting to this one. Another battle was about to begin quickly! GROAR! GRAOOO! RAARR! These creatures were slightly stronger. Every creature was either C- or C+ Rank, although we had yet to see something at B Rank. Perhaps they were extremely rare due to their great difficulty and power, so even a scientist like him cannot create a B-Rank monster so easily. The creatures roared fiercely as I decided to play around some more while absorbing their Mana. I activated the Domain of Shadows and Death Skill, which generated a large dark shadow all around us, below and above, and greatly enhanced our power by using these elements! Even our defenses and other stats were increased a bit more too. Oh, this feels good! Exclaimed Partner. She kicked a chimera in its wolf-shaped face and then used her spear to pierce the head of another with ease. GRAOOO! Kuro roared fiercely as he leaped over his victim, a wingless bird-shaped chimera that seemed quadrupedal in nature. What a horror, a quadrupedal bird! Indeed, I feel way stronger. Muttered Lucifer. Using his massive claws and phantasmal fire breath, he slashed his enemies and burnt them, making for a terrible duo that finished most of the creatures. Meanwhile, I expanded my Shadow Tentacles, but I had no time to properly set up my Shadow Net, so I only used my Shadow Tentacles to catch the beasts and then slay them using Darkness Bullet and Shadow Arrow Spear. A barrage of these attacks coupled with the boost of my equipment, the Job boost, and the Domain was enough to pulverize any chimera that dared to attack me. However, I also took out my blade and began to slash away some of the monstrous creatures with the Demonic Blade courtesy of our good friend, the Necromancer, and his Skull Lord. I used it alongside the Blade Slash Skill to release massive black and red-colored slashing attacks that slashed any beasts in half that dared to come near me. Some managed to catch up to me, but I evaded swiftly, and Lucifer, Partner, and Kuro were backing me up and taking the big hits for me while Emeraldine used her magic to support us. Anything that wasnt healing worked well on us, so she used buffs using her light magic to aid us in battle. Help me! HELP MEEEEEE! A humanoid creature with the body of a middle-aged man who was filled with monster and beast body parts stitched on him, making him look like a grotesque mix of things, reached up to me. It was a C+ Rank Chimera beast, and it seemed to be in pain. It was asking for help desperately as his beast limbs slashed against me, his human hands were changed, and he had large, sewed blades stuck to them, which he used to slash or pierce through me, or, well, tried at least. I evaded and healed back any minor damage I took until I managed to get a clear shot on its head and swung my blade dexterously, slicing off his head and then extracting his soul to purify and let it rest in peace. This was the last one, and with that, we got even more EXP. I can already imagine the face of the old man right now. ----- An Army Of Undead Chimera ----- Within the depths of the underground lair, the old and crazy scientist Vampire halfling, Borudro Aruno, began to feel shocked by what he was seeing through his clairvoyance crystal orb On it, he found what seemed to be a massacre against a large group of Chimeras he had sent to the invaders but were all destroyed. What seemed to be standing there were just five figures, three women, a dragon, and a strange black leopard W-What? W-Who are they?! The scientist checked the artifact that showed him the location of the children he was seeking. And it showed that they were right here?! Huh? Theyre here? Where?! I dont see them anywhere Agh! T-Theyre coming closer! Just how strong are they?! I have to call the boss No, even if I call him, he wont be able to bring reinforcements in time Am I going to die? HERE AND NOW?! The small man rushed around the office as he activated several magical artifacts, allowing many of the chimeras he had saved up in cages free, and ordering them through his authority over them to move and do as he said. The chimeras rushed through the corridors of the underground, about to meet Maria and her party. I have to get out of here! As long as I remain alive, this project can be restarted! The old man opened a dimensional pouch and began to save all sorts of documents inside while suddenly realizing a presence within a room behind his main office. This presence was a being he had created some time ago, an abominable chimera which he had only created to see how far his abilities could go and how strong a chimera could be made from his hands This abomination rested within a room of its own, being fed slaves every week, as its hunger could not be satiated otherwise. The man desperately rushed towards this room and opened it. You should be able to buy me enough time Now obey me and go there! Kill them! Do anything you can! Youre free to do whatever the fuck you desire! Roared the man, as several artifacts inserted inside the body of this monstrous being, forcing it to obey. Pa pa Ma ma. It hurtssss GRRUUOOHHH The creature cried with a voice that seemed to be various mixed children converged together while its massive and deformed body rushing through the corridors What a detestable monster But it''s strong, my strongest creation It should be able to do something against those monsters! Meanwhile ----- Ding! [Calculating EXP Gained] [You gained 245000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 19 to Level 20!] [Your Level has increased from Level 20 to Level 21!] [Your Level has increased from Level 21 to Level 22!] [Your Level has increased from Level 22 to Level 23!] [Your Level has increased from Level 23 to Level 24!] The number of Chimeras we had slaughtered was ridiculous. With such a big amount of them gone, it was easy for us to absorb all the EXP we rightfully earned. Not only had I leveled five times, but everyone else got a massive amount of levels. It is not normal to see so many strong monsters gathered in a single place. Not even dungeons spawn this many strong creatures! But we had a massive feast of C-Rank monsters, and everyone slaughtered them with high spirits as we got a bunch of EXP out of them. We had mostly left them half-dead so the twins and my other Undead could finish them off, though. You can already imagine how many levels those low-level guys got, right? They had gone from zero to hero really quick, although not as comparable as us. Most of my Undead evolved, including my Undead Raven. Maybe with their current levels it should be more than enough to get them out! After all, these strong Bone Beasts were all C- Rank at most, and Raven is at least at C+ Rank now. Indeed, it is finally time to act like a Necromancer and- Oh right, there are all these Chimera corpses, might as well raise them into Undead too by using Fake Life. And, they seemed pretty strong! FLASH! Inside of my own Shadow Storage, all the corpses of Chimera are stuck together and stitched through my Undead Healing Skill, and then my utilization of Fake Life to raise the strongest ones, there were some that ended too destroyed or looked too pathetically weak. The result? An army of around 20 D+ Undead! Not bad. They lost a lot of power because their original souls were gone, but these can work as nice distractions. The kids also wanted to fight as both of them had leveled up to level 23, so they could realistically fight or help in the fight now But I was too worried about their safety, so I declined their enthusiasm, sadly. Sorry, but you two are still too weak. If you end up dying, I dont think I can forgive myself, I sighed. But Emeraldine can heal us if we wound ourselves. Said Takeshi. Our Unique Skills can work well too! Said Laura. No is no, kids! We are about to slaughter the baddie, so you sit there and kill the creatures we send at you. Raven and the other Undead are taking good care of you, right? I asked. Erm yeah, Okay, fine Good kids, Theyre indeed good kids! Now, back to the issue at hand. I glanced in front of my path. We were moving at a fast speed across the corridors, as we saw many areas that were filled with alchemy items or caged wild monsters and beasts. We also saw a few rooms filled with slaves and people that were still alive. I ignored them for now as we had to first clean the entire place from Chimeras and the guy that made this entire mess, and then well see what we can do with these people. Calling the authorities would be the best bet so they can take care of it, but the authorities themselves are corrupted! And there it is, another wave of chimera monsters coming right up. ----- A Boss Is Slowly Approaching! ----- The power of the Gods of this world is unknown to me yet, but I do know that they allow for such things to happen in this world without any problems. It is said they created and shaped the world, but they clearly didnt take care of it after that. They let the beings they created do whatever they want in the end. Kill each other, enslave each other, experiment with one another, and do all sorts of atrocities. And even when things involve the fragments of their former enemy which they defeated and whose fragments fell onto the surface of the world they created, nothing changed, and they didnt interfere, even when the mortals they made played around with this power which clearly shouldnt be used by them. A wave of chimera monsters quickly greeted us. All of their massive and grotesque bodies were overflowing with Demon Energy coming from the black crystals on their bodies. These things were produced by the Fragment of Evil which my parents and my family once protected. This fragment is, of course, not here but hidden probably in the capital of this Kingdom. I quickly analyzed the number of beasts before us, around 30 in total, and I could feel a big one coming slowly behind all of them. Did this old man unleash his final trump card or something? Good, lets get to it. [Mana Siphon], I once again activated the power of Mana Siphon, absorbing large quantities of Mana from all the army of Chimera in front of us. And then [Summon]! FLASH! While my Domain of Dark Shadows and Death were still present, I summoned the power of the Undead Ive made, or well, a part of it, bringing forth most of the Chimera Undead I just raised as meat shields. An army of 20 Chimera Undead appeared in an instant, accompanied by a few Bone Beasts of C+ Rank as backup allies. All of them rushed forward before us, taking the initial hit of the entire battle as many began to be slashed by the strong chimera, but many others managed to defeat other Chimeras. A massacre of wild beasts against wilder beasts had just begun. And as we left this to happen, we rushed forward and began using our abilities to finish them off or catch them as this time we were not so relaxed as before as the group was clearly big and strong. Every Chimera here was already C+ Rank without any being less than that in power. There was no chance for us if we didnt go all out from the beginning. RRROOOARR! Lucifer rushed forward as he fiercely released his breath attack, phantasmal flames burning through the many chimeras at once and targeting their deformed and amorphous flesh, which made them howl in pain. Partner controlled her blood and made whips out of it, which wrapped around two Chimeras, and then she used them to hit the other Chimeras, throwing them away while picking them up using her spear with swift movements. Emeraldine used her bow and gathered spiritual mana on it, before firing incredibly fast Light Arrows that exploded into flashing light and burnt through a group of Chimeras in an instant. She was deadly and fast. Kuro used his natural body strength to fight, alongside his magic, as he had the ability to unleash fireballs, thunderbolts, and gale winds of dark energy, alongside darkness bullets, all of which were being spammed by him and bombarded any enemy which his claws and bite could not reach. Meanwhile, I swung my blade to the left and right, as massive slashes made of dark and death elements were released continuously. These slashes came packed with the power of the Blade Slash Skill, deadly enough to slash through most things with ease. I used it to slice the Chimeras into pieces with utmost ease and then gained tons of EXP through my senseless slaughter. It was a good opportunity to practice my sword fighting until I realized I could also just gather shadows on the blade and then swing it by merely thinking, making it an effective flying weapon. This way, I just equipped my Staff and let the blade fly around and slash, pierce, and kill the chimeras by splitting a part of my mind to control it through Shadow Manipulation. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Also, I utilized my most basic magic, Dark Gale, to slice through the Chimera, coupled with the amazing Dark Sphere at high levels. As the level of the skills increased, they became deadlier and more efficient too as they still cost less Mana than the bigger attacks using Shadow Manipulation, for example. Also, thanks to the Domain boosting my elemental Dark Damage, these little spells became devastating ones. My Dark Gales sliced through the chimeras like massive storms of slicing dark winds, while my Dark Spheres were now as big as two meters, enough to blast an entire Chimera into the ground, and multiple ones could easily splatter them into pieces onto the ground. It was truly a beautiful sight. We continued slaughtering while occasionally throwing weakened chimera beasts inside of my shadow storage, where the kids and the Undead there finished them off for their own Experience Points. Soon, we were about to finish off this wave of Chimera in less than 10 minutes. It was rather long, but the difficulties we faced were near none, especially as I was abusing the power of a Necromancer and simply abusing the Undead, I had raised as meat shields. This ended with all the Chimera dying after a few minutes, and once more, I was getting a shit-ton of EXP! Hahaha! Ding! [Calculating EXP earned] [You gained 265000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 24 to Level 25!] [Your Level has increased from Level 25 to Level 26!] [Your Level has increased from Level 26 to Level 27!] [Your Level has increased from Level 27 to Level 28!] [EXP: 65056/75000] Four levels in one shot! Good! Thats the good stuff. This amazing grind had not come to an end yet as the Final Boss has emerged! A massive gorilla-like Chimera was emanating the deadliest presence And this thing was Eh?! B+ Rank?! ----- A Monstrous Boss Battle! ----- A massive creature came running towards us after we defeated the last Chimera as if triggered by some kind of Boss Battle event. But perhaps when it noticed us now that the army of monstrous creatures was cleansed, it was able to properly discern us and ran here as fast as it could. The monster was nothing less than a terrifying thought as the number of body parts it had stitched all over its body and the three heads it had looked creepy. The creature resembled a massive muscular hulk. The body looked like a combination of several animals, mostly the torso of a gorilla with the four legs of a massive lizard, perhaps even a dragon? It had three long tails, each one was different, while one of them, the one at the middle, was a massive scorpion tail, and the other two resembled rocky spear-tipped tails that you would see in some kind of earth-type lizard monster. The three heads it had was the creepy part, as the first head in the middle was the head of a human, but it lacked any skin over its face, and it was just raw red flesh. It looked creepy as it lacked eyelids and its sharp teeth looked ready to chomp us down. The head at the left was that of some giant and grotesque bird with a massive sharp hook-shaped beak, but it had no feathers, while the other head to the right was that of a massive crocodile, and it had a large jaw enough to snap your head off. It had six muscular arms, and each arm was either covered by fur, scales, or metallic plates of armor. Some of these arms even had weapons and magical artifacts stuck to them, and the creature had many demonic crystals all across its body. I could sense one in every limb and probably all around its torso, alongside three big ones in each head. I dont even know if destroying all the heads could even bring that thing down, but it was certainly a terrifying beast. On its back, it had several long tentacles of various colors, and they all leaked some deadly venom. We should keep Emeraldine behind us. Grrrrrraaaaahhh mama papa It hurts Help HELP! However, that wasnt the most disturbing thing yet, as this creature began to speak in the voice of dozens of children. As if they were all going through constant pain, they were calling for the help of their parents. A horrendous pain suddenly hit the core of my soul, as I felt a powerful curse trying to consume me the moment I heard its accursed voice, the eyes of the center-head shone brightly with red light. Fuck, I thought I was immune to curses! Well, being a ghost makes you immune to status effects that affect physical bodies, so I guess curses dont apply here?! Unggh! Maria! Are you okay?! Asked Lucifer. Master! Cried Partner. Maria-sama! Shouted Emeraldine. Stop! Dont worry about me. I am fine! Dont look at that things eyes, no matter what! It can inflict a strong Soul Curse Fuck! I felt as if the curse was slowly beginning to eat away at my soul from its very core. What kind of accursed Curse was this?! It was way too overpowered! I checked this creatures horrendous stats, and I saw they were pretty fucking high. The creatures name was [Grand Chimera Behemoth Tyrant], a B+ Ranked monster with enough stats to pulverize me. Well have to go all out on this one! But first The Curse used on me was part of its Evil Eye of Soul Eating. I see, so my soul was about to get fucking eaten, right. I quickly shapeshifted my hand into a sharp materialized dark claw, and I used it to grasp the area with the curse slowly spreading And pulled it straight out through my own Soul Eating. CRASH! Uagh! It hurt like hell! But I managed to take out the curse, and then, I quickly devoured my own soul fragment. Thankfully, the curse quickly dissipated after being eaten. I guess you have to fight fire with fire. A few consecutive uses of Undead Healing quickly healed back the wound in my soul as I glared at the Chimera slowly approaching us, and it seemed a bit timid. Prepare yourselves! I once more prepared the Domain of Dark Shadows and Death while keeping my Demonic Blade close to me. I coated it in Shadows and manipulated it in midair through Shadow Manipulation. I even went as far as inserting a part of my own mind, something I had just begun to learn to do right about now. This massive demon blade was going to be our new party member, I guess. While I use the staff to enhance my magic, this blades own power will attack the creature. Lucifers big body will be our primary tank alongside all the Undead I am raising right now through Fake Life, as all the chimera we have slain recently came back to life as my servants. Partner and Kuro would also fight in the frontlines but will try to fight off the beast through quick attacks whenever it lowers its guard. Meanwhile, Emeraldine and I will support the frontliners with our Magic. My Domain is already doing wonders for their damage and defenses, but my magic will also come in clutch. Also, I will constantly use Life Drain and Mana Siphon to slowly drain the life and mana out of this giant gorilla. While doing so, I will employ the barriers of shadows I have and spam my attack spells as much as I possibly can while making sure to heal my allies, which Emeraldine cannot heal herself. Her barriers and long-ranged attacks will be more than enough, however. GGRRAAAAAA! Suddenly, the chimera didnt wait for us to coordinate as it jumped straight towards me with all its might! Fuck! [Shadow Barrier]! I overcharged my shadow barrier spell with mana and conjured it in an instant. The massive beast hit it directly, getting flattened over the barrier of shadows! CRASH! Only for it to break right after! GRRAA! Its massive claws reached me, ready to break down my soul into pieces. ----- Desperate Battle! ----- Indeed, this Monster has a lot more speed than its damn size implies! And this is because it has over 6k Agility! That''s a B+ Rank monster for you! In terms of agility and raw stats, this monster beat us by far. And just by pushing lightly, he broke down my barrier, which I had spent thousands of Mana into, and decided to just kill me right away because it thought I was the leader here, or maybe because I was the most annoying with my Domain and Magic. However! SLAAAASSSH! "GRAAH?!" My trusty Demonic Blade came forward and slashed through the beast''s heads, trying to slice off the human head! The beast immediately noticed this and twisted its body, trying to catch my floating blade but not managing to do so, as my blade flew around leisurely as if insulting it. "This is the guy you''ll fight today!" Lucifer rushed forward as he enhanced his body with the power of his powerful Draconic Soul. His entire body emanated a deathly phantasmal aura that encompassed his entire body and enhanced his strength greatly. CLASH! He used his claws and tail to attack the monster, pushing it back from where it came from. His deadly breath attack burned through its flesh as the monster roared in anger and suddenly caught his arms and then tore them apart! CRAAASSSH! "Unggh?!" This thing is definitely strong! "Go, Undead Army!" I called all my Undead on standby and merged their groups with the ones I had just formed. The entire massive army of over 60 Undead rushed forward, suddenly swarming the entire monster as I bought some time for Lucifer. I grabbed his arms and stuck them to his body, healing them back with Undead Healing. "Thanks" He sighed. "Keep fighting!" I shouted. Lucifer nodded as he rushed forward, jumping over the creature who was absolutely massacring all my Undead as if they were ants reveling against a lion. BOOM!!! "ORRRAAA!" He roared furiously as the beast was taken by surprise. His claws pierced through the monster''s chest and began to slash through it and take large chunks of flesh and scales. Meanwhile, Partner and Kuro quickly joined in, attacking the beast''s arms. Kuro used his claws, jaws, and magic to burn, slash, and bite two arms by himself, slowly making them weakened enough for Partner to use all her might in a powerful consecutive thrusting technique. Her spear pierced through the monster''s arms and ended up slicing three of them after her combination attack with Kuro! BOOM! The three massive limbs fell onto the ground as the beast began to leak blood from its body. Feeling pain and anger, the creature suddenly released an enormous shockwave of darkness, throwing everyone away from it. Most of my Undead died there, but thankfully, our main party barely managed to make it through as I spammed Undead Healing on them. "GRRAAAR!" The monster roared angrily as it leaped towards us at a frightening speed. My blade slashed through its body but was then punched away with immense might. The monster once more targeted me, trying to crush me with its four lizard legs, but I decided to greet it with a power I had been preparing, Pandora''s Box! BOOOOMMM!!! A mass of darkness and chaos came out of my entire soul and reached the chimera while it was in midaira large chunk of my Mana was consumed into this one powerful attack. The beam of darkness began to damage both the monster''s flesh and soul as I pushed it into the ceiling! CLAAAASSSSHH! "GGRAAAAGGH!" The monster seemed to be in a pinch, but then! "RAAA!" Its entire body gathered its demon energy, and the bastard copied my move, releasing a beam of black demonic energy towards me, overpowering my Pandora''s Box! BOOOM! The massive beam reached me in an instant, but Emeraldine generated a large force field of holy light which shielded us from this demonic power. CLAAAASH! "Unnngh! Come on!" She cried out as she gritted her teeth, so I quickly touched her shoulder and infused my Mana into her, helping her maintain the barrier. CRASH! The barrier began to crack, but when it was about to break, the monster couldn''t muster more demonic energy and stopped firing such a powerful beam. However, its body was still in midair when this happened. Without the force of the beam keeping it in midair, it fell directly towards us, breaking the barrier and shaking the entire floor. BOOOMMM!!! The shockwave generated with its massive near ten-meter-tall body sent us all flying through the corridors as we all glanced at the monster scornfully. This damn bastard wasn''t even that wounded aside from lacking three arms from the six it had. "GRRRAAAAHHHH!" Without even letting us stand up to fight once more, the creature reached up to me, but my Undead shielded me with their bodies, buying time and swarming it once more. I spammed Fake Life on the corpses of the Undead and simply raised them back to fight. They were more destroyed than ever, but nothing some Undead Healing couldn''t patch. The power of a Necromancer is within its undying troops! Even if you defeat my whole army, I can just raise them again and patch them up! "GROARR!" As the beast was pulverizing my Undead, I healed back Lucifer, Partner, and Kuro, while Emeraldine healed her own wounds and stood up. This wasn''t over yet "Maria!" Suddenly, the voice of Laura resonated through my mind. "Huh?! How can you speak to me through my mind?" I asked. "This is the power of my Unique Skill, Twin Connection! I''ve made you into my Twin Like this, you can share my Abilities! Please, use Detonation. I believe it can help you somehow it cannot make living beings detonate but- Undead can work on them!" Shouted Laura. "Wait Undead Detonation?" A devilish smile emerged on my lips as I saw the Chimera destroying my Undead Perhaps I can use my own Undead as Unliving Time Bombs! However, to activate them, it is required to touch the Undead! ----- Undead Explosion ----- "GGRUUUOOOHH!" The massive beast continued to pulverize my Undead at an incredible speed, and the corpses of my Undead were sent flying everywhere, even more torn apart than before. But that was good enough for me. However, I needed someone to distract this beast before it was to come after me again. It continuously targeted me for some reason, perhaps because it knew I was draining its Mana? Nonetheless, I need time to convert my newly created Undead into time bombs. "Lucifer, Emeraldine, Partner, Kuro I am counting on you! Distract the beast! I got an idea of what we can do!" I shouted before taking action. "It''s not like there''s any other option than fighting!" Said Lucifer, enhancing his body with magic and rushing forward with his draconic body. "Leave it to us, Maria-sama, please, do what you must do!" Said Emeraldine. Her two spirits danced around her as she conjured several roots of trees growing around the beast''s legs, keeping it in place temporarily with all her might. Also, using her other spirit, the spirit of light, to fire beams of light over the beast''s eyes. She combined this with Lucifer''s power, as she blinded the monster while keeping it in place, while Lucifer slashed, bit, and burnt the creature as much as he could, but even with all his efforts, the damn monster was barely budging. Throwing fist attacks and demonic energy beams was all it could do, but Emeraldine protected him by setting up a protection spell over him. "For Master, I''ll give my life!" Partner roared as she jumped from the ground and spun as if she were Beyblade. Her spear blade slashed through the chimera''s other three arms, and repeating the attack, she slashed through another arm while Kuro roared loudly. He supported her with his long-ranged attacks, and strong claws and bite. As I saw everyone working hard and doing their best for me, I couldn''t help but smile proudly at the companions I''ve made on this journey. It hasn''t been that much time, but I''ve already made good friends that are willing to put their lives on the line for me. And I really appreciate that! Leaving all the irony I cover myself in aside, I am almost moved to tears. I quickly filled myself with all the resolve I could muster as I felt as if my body suddenly began to overflow with power. This was merely the shared power with Laura, and her unique skill allowed me to share it. Although she was obviously way weaker than me, thanks to her Unique Skills, I could utilize a power I could never have been able to use before. Laura''s Unique Skill, named Detonation, allows her to make objects into explosives which she can then edit the intensity of their explosion. However, this intensity is also dependent on her Magic Stat and costs a lot of Mana to make into powerful bombs. Due to that, even now, after leveling a lot, she''s not strong enough to fight this beast. But I am. I have tons of Mana and Magic, and I honestly never considered she could just do this to help me, but it seems that she can just choose anyone as a "Twin" through her Twin Connection Unique Skill as long as they''re cataloged as allies, she trusts, and I seem to have finally filled that quota. The corpses began to gather around me as I moved at a fast speed. My thoughts flashed with countless considerations as I waved my hands, and my Staff did the rest. Dark and phantasmal energies gathered around the corpses, and I combined Fake Life with Undead Healing to combine several torn apart corpses into larger, grotesque, and more robust Undead. I raised over a dozen in the span of just three minutes as my allies did everything they could to distract the chimera. Quickly, I touched all of them at once through the expansion of my shapeless phantasmal body that I made into a mass of black shadow tentacles. I suddenly felt something strange by touching them and activating the Unique Skill: Detonation. I saw the illusory imagery of each Undead becoming a bomb as if there was a timing I could set. I could make them explode right away or leave a timing for them to explode. It was an interesting power, and the more Mana I decided to pour into the Undead, the more power and intensity their explosions would be alright, let''s do it! I infused large quantities of mana into all of these grotesque chimeric Undead before ordering them to run straight into the chimera beast! "Now, go!" "ROAR!" "GROAR!" "GROAN!" "GRAA!" Their monstrous groans resonated across the corridors as I smiled rather confidently while thanking these friends for the sacrifice they would make for a chance at victory. Lucifer was being beaten down into the ground, but I quickly expanded my shadows and wrapped them around the remaining two arms of the Chimera, as I used [Summon] to summon all my allies near me and bring them outside of danger in just a split second. "Unngh! About time" Muttered Lucifer. I drank the four Mana Potions I had stored and recovered some Mana, using it to heal my allies. While Emeraldine healed herself by drinking a mana potion, the chimera beast managed to finally break through the roots around its legs and quickly began to charge towards us, but the twelve Undead I had created rushed forward and reached it in an instant! "GROOOARRRR!" The creature roared monstrously as it used its giant arms to throw away my Chimeras. But that was the time I moved my fingers and pretended I was an infamous serial killer. "Killer Queen has already touched those Undead," "GRAH?!" FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The moment the chimera moved the Undead away, they all began to glow with bright red and dark energy, and the second after, a beautiful spectacle of fireworks greeted our sight, as I created a barrier of shadows to shield ourselves from the explosions. BOOOOOMMMM!!! ----- Catching The Rat ----- The dozens of Undead exploded continuously, one after another. The chimera was overwhelmed by the explosive destruction that they caused, so its entire body couldn''t take the massive damage, and I saw its HP finally drop down! BOOOOMMM!!! I used Shadow Barriers materialized into powerful and hard walls to protect us from the shockwaves and the fiery explosions made into several layers. Still, the power of these explosions was obviously stronger than them. If the chimera was able to punch my barriers and break them, an explosion that can damage it can obviously destroy my barriers too. But, it bought us enough time. I used this time to store everyone inside my Shadow Storage and flew into the underground, abusing my phantasmal nature to get below the dirt and completely evade the explosion. I waited until things ended to resurge from the floor, noticing that the chimera had yet to die. It was barely hanging onto its life, and it probably had around 5% of its total HP, and its entire body was torn apart horrendously. I saw dozens of souls merged together inside of this abomination, all groaning painfully. They were clearly suffering a lot. "I''ll end it for you quickly," I said as I generated a spike of darkness and impacted the monster''s Main Core, breaking it apart. The demonic energy that fueled its body quickly dissipated, and the monster fell silent. Its HP went down to zero. It was over. "Emeraldine, can you do something?" I asked. "Yes, leave it to me." Emeraldine purified the souls left haunting the corpse as they slowly calmed themselves down from the pain and suffering they were going through before slowly flying into the afterlife. [Calculating EXP] [You gained 360000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 28 to Level 29!] [Your Level has increased from Level 29 to Level 30!] [Your Level has increased from Level 30 to Level 31!] [Your Level has increased from Level 31 to Level 32!] [Your Level has increased from Level 32 to Level 33!] [EXP: 56/100000] [The Levels of several Skills have increased] [You learned the [Undead Detonation: Lv1] and [Supernatural Senses: Lv1] Skills!] Five levels in a row, not bad. Now I am just seven levels from reaching Level 40 and evolving once more. I thought my progression was slow, but it''s going pretty fast, to be honest. But oh well, now that we are done here, we have to keep moving. After Emeraldine cleansed the souls, the rest jumped out of my shadows and ran with me through the corridors, reaching the last room, where we found nobody "Did this bastard escape?!" Asked Lucifer. "Damn it!" Shouted Partner. "No, wait, he''s escaped through there. The spirits are guiding me," Said Emeraldine, as she pointed out at what seemed to be a tunnel in the ceiling, which was closed by a door engraved with runes. But it was very small! Of course, only a halfling would be able to realistically get himself inside of that place and get through it "Alright, jump in. We are following him!" Everyone jumped into my shadows, and I flew into the ceiling, trespassing the runes like nothing and flying through the surface. Traveling through physical objects costs Mana, but I just leveled up, and my HP and MP refilled rather generously, so I had no problems regarding this for the moment! FLAAAASSSSH! Let''s see let''s expand my senses using some Magic. Ghosts have supernatural senses, after all! Through fusing my senses with my own body and then expanding my body several meters, I managed to spot a figure running desperately. I rushed forward and enhanced to full speed, diving into the darkness of the night using Shadow Sneak. "Hahh! I managed to escape in time! Heheh hehehe! As long as I got these samples I can make a newer Homunculus than those two brats. An even better- Eheeehh?!" "Surprise!" I caught the bastard who was celebrating his escape as I wrapped his legs with my Shadow Tentacles and pulled him upside down. "GRRYYAAGGGH! G-GHOST!" He cried in horror as I showed myself as a massive and horrendous specter. I decided to utilize several Skills for this. One of them included things such as Aura of Famine, which exuded a strong life-eating aura of intimidation and poison, making him scream in horror. I checked his stats, and he was an amazing user of Alchemy and Necromancy, but his stats were super low aside from this specialization. He was not a good fighter, nor did he have a lot of levels. He was barely a C- Rank. Weaker than the damn Necromancer we killed earlier. "L-Let me goo!" He cried desperately, trying to attack me with his feeble magic. I easily tanked it with my high magic defense and carelessly cut off his limbs before throwing him to the ground. I sliced his limbs using the demonic blade, and each wound was left cursed and rotting right away. He screamed in pain, and his limbs were taking an awfully long time to regrow despite being a Vampire. "Kids come out. You got someone to talk with," I said. "K-Kids? W-Wait you''re!" The man muttered these words as I summoned the two kids that were his creations. "So here he is." Muttered Laura. "Wow, I never thought I would see him in such a pathetic state," Said Takeshi. "You damn kids! It''s all your fault! Agh! Y-You don''t know who you''re messing with! T-The Vampires will come after you!" Cried the man, whose name was Borudro What the heck kind of name is that, honestly? "So? What do you want to do with him? We can torture him some more, butcher him alive, or let him be eaten by Undead," I said. "No I just wanted to kick him in the face," Said Laura, as she kicked the man in the face with her all of the strength she could muster, twisting his nose upside down. CLASH! "Ugrryyaaggh! Y-You little bitch! Aggh Ahhha" ----- Revenge ----- So we caught this idiot named Borudro, the one behind the slaughter. He was the one that created all these chimeras and also the kids themselves by bringing their souls into the world and placing them inside new bodies. I don''t know how he did it, but he used some kind of method to bring otherworldly souls here. Laura kicked him in the face and even twisted his nose horrendously. It looked painful, to be honest! This girl packed a punch despite being rather young and small. Or, well, packed a kick. "You''re a strong girl, aren''t you?" I asked. "I just wanted to crush his face. I still remember all the things he made us go through He even made us bathe in all sorts of elemental magic attacks to build up resistance to elements and pain." Sighed Laura. "Oh" However, unlike the ruthless Laura, Takeshi was just standing there doing nothing. He seemed disturbed by the scene and wasn''t attacking the man. "Just end him already I don''t want to see him anymore. I just want to know that it''s done," Sighed the boy. "Alright then, you guys don''t have to see this. Let me handle it for ya," I said. "Thank you" Muttered Takeshi. "I want to kill him myself." Complained Laura. "Eh? You''re sure?" I asked. "Yeah, I am Let me do it," said Laura. "Alright then, go ahead," I couldn''t fight against her will. "But how will you kill- Oh." Laura infused mana into all the clothes the man was wearing. They were not alive after all. "Die" She muttered, her eyes flashing with crimson-red light. The man hopelessly had all his mana drained by me and couldn''t attack her. "Wait! Y-You''re using your Unique Skill?!" He asked. "" FLASH! Suddenly, his clothes flashed with bright red and dark light, and I quickly generated a shadow barrier just as all his clothes blew up as if they were deadly explosives alongside the guy''s entire body. "Gryyyyyaaaaaaagggghhh!" BOOOOOMMM!!! He was completely torn apart into pieces. I never realized her power had such a deadly technique. Technically, if the person is wearing any kind of clothes, accessories, or any "item" over their bodies, she can touch it, turning it into a bomb, and detonate it dealing direct damage. She made all his clothes explode, so they ended up being many bombs at once. Despite her Magic being around 800, it was still deadly enough to kill him. This girl is deadly! Now that she finally has her Magic stat at a decent level, she could pretty much be a national threat with such a powerful ability and her ways of abusing it. Even more, thanks to Twin Connection, she can share the power with any person she wants Actually, thanks to her ability, I ended up awakening a new Spell named Undead Detonation, which lets me explode Undead without the necessity of touching them, but well, it only extends to Undead I''ve risen. Now Borudro is gone, but his soul is still here, so I grabbed it. "GRYAGH! L-Let me go!" He cried. "Now, now, we can''t just do that, my good friend. I have to get as much info out of you as I possibly can! So go on, tell me everything you know! Or else do you want your soul eaten? Without a soul, you won''t even get a chance in the afterlife," I said. "G-Gyyyggh! F-Fine!" Oh man, that was easy. In the end, the guy spit out all he knew. He was resigned to this place 30 years ago by the Vampires with the purpose of creating the perfect vessel of the Fragment of Evil. For some reason which not even he knew about, the Vampires wanted to create the ideal body and vessel for this power, and he was one of the few other scientists given this opportunity. He was fed with all sorts of magical materials and resources and asked to make the perfect Homunculus. He''s also a sicko obsessed with experimenting with living and unliving and was made into a Vampire when the Vampires captured him after he was imprisoned by the Kingdom. He actually used to be an alchemist that was caught using slaves for experiments, and even that seems to be illegal, so he was imprisoned. The Vampires saw potential in him and then converted him into a Subordinate Vampire, making him another of their personal alchemist/necromancers for their wicked experiments. The sad part is that he barely interacted with other vampires as he is a fairly new one and only has 30 years of vampiric experience. So he didn''t know anything else aside from that, damn it. I decided that he only deserved to be punished for what he did, so I didn''t comply with my promise and ate his soul slowly, expanding my jaws into massive razor-sharp teeth, tearing him apart as he screamed desperately. "No! Wait, wait, wait! You said you wouldn''t kill me! Y-you said you would let me rest in peaceeeeee.!" "You don''t even deserve Valhalla nor Hel. You only deserve to stop existing. Be embraced by the void, smartass," I said as I consumed him completely. CRASH! "GRRYYYAAGGGGH!" And he was gone with a last pitiful scream. I swallowed him, and he tasted bitter. Uegh, will I not get indigestion with this? Ding! [Calculating EXP earned] [You gained 270000 EXP] [Your Level has increased from Level 33 to Level 34!] [Your Level has increased from Level 34 to Level 35!] [EXP: 60000/120000] Damn, his body and soul gave out some nice EXP. Also, it''s nice that everyone else also got some shared EXP out of that and leveled up some more. "Phew, now that we are done here, what should we do?" "I want to sleep for now." Sighed Laura. "Me too I am tired." Also sighed Takeshi. The two kids seemed quite tired, and I didn''t blame them. I made them work hard by killing our half-dead prey, and it''s already late at night. "Alright then! Let''s go back to the Inn, and we''ll leave you to sleep there with some friends watching over you. Then I''ll come back," I said. ----- Aftermath ----- I moved back to the Inn after the whole incident and left Lucifer, Partner, Kuro, and around ten Undead watching over the kids. I was concerned that some stealthy vampire assassin could emerge at any moment, so I left them there to hold down the fort for a moment. Alone? Of course, I am not alone. I have my own Undead army, which I had rebuilt out of the corpses I just recently acquired. They''re all resting on standby in my Shadow Storage, so I can use Summon and bring them with me at any time. I am still thinking about what the heck I should do with the slaves there. Throwing them back to the authorities will still only make them slaves. So what should I do? I flew towards that place and found everything in order. I began to steal everything and literally emptied the entire place, and then I freed the slaves. I gathered them all in a room, many of them were brought to tears, but I honestly didn''t know what to do with them. Maybe freeing them and letting them go back home? But some slaves used to live here. If they''re brought back here, they''ll be caught. "Thank you so much for what you''ve done." "Thank you!" "You defeated those horrendous monsters." "Our savior!" And as I stood there thinking about something, the people kept praising me as if my aura were affecting their minds a bit. I didn''t know what was going on with their minds, but I looked pretty spooky, even in my materialized "human" appearance. And despite that, they were praising me and kneeling before me. Huhh. I guess these people are not normal. Could it be that they see me as their savior, even as strange as I look, because they went through horrible stuff? Oh well, whatever. I thought about simply bringing them with my shadow storage, but I have limited space there, and it''s mostly for my Undead. It''s also dark, and I doubt people will like it. So I am out of options. Huh, damn it, I wish I could be a selfish person, but I would really feel bad if I left them here. I can''t really do that. I started to ask the people around. Some of them belonged to tribes in the outskirts of the place but had been away for so long that they didn''t know their way back home. Hmm there''s an aristocrat merchant puppet I got here. Maybe I could use him and his money to buy a few more caravans and send all the slaves to the goblin village? It''s the only place I have any thought they could be accepted. I guess we can just do that and wish for them to have good travels. I will probably give them a lot of Undead guards with all these new materials I got from here, I think I can create super-strong Undead for them as well. They should easily slaughter any run-of-the-mill bandit group. Even high-level monsters should also not be a problem on their trip there. Hmm, I also got the issue here with the aristocratic pigs. There are three I have to slay. I might as well take away as much money and resources I can from them to give to these people, so they can go there with tons of resources. We would also resupply the goblin village with new food, armor, weapons, magical tools, and so on. Oh yeah, sounds like a plan, to be honest. I wonder if I should go back there It has been around two months since I departed, but I wanted to clean every duchy, but even then, it looks like it will take time. It would take less time to just accompany the people there and travel back to see how things are going. We might as well relocate from there and begin doing some stuff. But the situation is quite dire too. I can''t just go there and relax. Ugh So much to do. I need to discuss this with my friends. "Alright, guys, I think I can bring you back to a place where you can be safe and recover, but I will need you all to stay here for a bit more. Here, there''s everything you need," I quickly began to drop tons of food that I''d stolen recently when I went into town through the night. Alongside blankets and new clothes, there were also water barrels and so on. "Thank you!" "W-We can stay here for a bit longer." "There are no creepy monsters now, so it''s more comfortable than going outside." I need someone commanding them and taking care of them so they don''t fight each other I picked up most of the bones from the graveyard, which took me around 30 minutes, and then raised a couple of skeletons, which were humanoid and easy to handle humans. "Alright, you guys, you''ll be here to take care of the people, distribute food and take care of them. Hug them if they feel lonely too, everything that is necessary," I ordered. The skeletons nodded as they began distributing things, and one of them hugged an old man who was crying. See? Skeletons are always the best answer. They might be cold and bony on the outside but they''re also cold and bony on the inside and quite phantasmal. Anyways, leaving the people there, I then flew back to town and decided to not do anything to the aristocrats yet. It will take some time for them to realize something happened down here, so I''ll use that time to go back to the Inn and sleep through this night for the moment. I will discuss what to do with everyone else tomorrow with a tasty breakfast. As I reached the Inn, I found everyone there. And nothing has happened, thankfully. I saw the kids sleeping peacefully and decided to jump into bed and calm the exhaustion of my mind with a nap. -----